Invincible
by kathryn518
Summary: The night in the graveyard, produces a very different result as Harry discovers things he didn't know about his heritage. Before he only had a castle, now he has a whole wide world to get himself in trouble. At least he has his responsible godfather along for the ride. That should help... right? Or not.
1. Unknown Heritage

Harry struggled futilely as he remained trapped against a headstone. His entire body trembled as he fought to free himself but his hands were forced back against the angel with a scythe holding him in place. He was helpless to do anything but watch as his worst nightmare came to life right before his eyes.

He had been transported to this graveyard with Cedric Diggory at the end of the maze in the tri-wizard cup. He had urged the other boy to take the cup if not alone, then with him. The cup which had been a portkey, something that neither of them had known when they had taken it.

They found themselves in a graveyard, one that was startlingly familiar to Harry. In his uncertainty he had hesitated, even after seeing the Riddle gravestone. He had realized they needed to leave immediately when his scar had exploded in pain. Pain that had paralyzed him and it was all he could do to stay on his feet.

The cauldron had burst into fire as a raspy hoarse voice, one he had heard twice before. In an encounter during his first year, in front of the Mirror of Erised, on the back of Quirrell's head. Then once more in a nightmare before the quidditch world cup. "Kill the spare!"

The older boy had died instantly when he was hit by a killing curse by the same man who had betrayed his parents. Harry had tried to leap to take the curse, but the pain from his scar made the leap barely more than a lurch. Whatever he had tried, it was too late, the older boy, one who he might have tentatively called a friend was dead.

For an eternal second Harry stared down into Cedric's lifeless eyes. Given how much he had practiced the charm, on instinct, Harry had tried to summon the portkey to where he crouched over Cedric's dead body, but he had been levitated at the same moment away from Cedric and against the grave.

The portkey hadn't been a total loss, it had collided with Cedric's dead body and without hesitation the boy's corpse was whisked away from the battle.

Harry had been helpless as he was levitated up against the gravestone and it shifted to pin him in place. He watched as not only had Voldemort been brought back to life, but that his blood was an ingredient in the process.

Voldemort had returned to life and had gotten a new body.

An ugly mostly disgusting body, but a body none the less. Harry watched without speaking as the pale figure had used Pettigrew's arm to summon his followers. All of whom had arrived within moments, completely clad in their masks and dark robes. Several of their identities were revealed though, as Voldemort himself had apparently unmasked them.

Harry had only met Lucius Malfoy before, though several of the other names Voldemort had mentioned in his rant about disappointment in his followers, Harry assumed had children in fellow students in or near his year.

Voldemort, at the moment was berating his followers for their lack of faith and support. Lucius Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had all been exposed, as much due to the thrashing around the Cruciatus curse caused throwing off their masks as from their master's monologuing and scolding.

Then Pettigrew had interjected, saying that he had come for his master. Voldemort had scolded him saying it was out of fear and not loyalty. But he none the less rewarded the traitor for the limb he had cut off by replacing his hand. Harry wanted to curse the betraying little rat, now not only responsible for his parent's death, Sirius' imprisonment, but also Cedric's death too. The entire scene made the rage Harry felt rise.

He shifted against the stone holding him in another futile movement but that seemed to draw Voldemort's attention.

"Harry! I'd almost forgotten you were here!" His deceptively soft voice rang out, "Standing on the bones of my father. I'd introduce you, but word has it that you're almost as famous as me these days."

Harry didn't say anything in return but Voldemort could not seem to resist the chance to gloat as he turned to his followers, "The Boy… Who Lived!"

Voldemort turned back, his eyes going wide and a sneer forming on his face, "My, how the lies have fed your legend Harry! Shall I reveal what really happened that night thirteen years ago?"

He turned and walked away walking in front of his followers, "Shall I divulge how I truly lost my powers?"

Harry didn't answer, but Voldemort didn't seem to need an answer, "It was love!"

He was speaking to his followers now, "You see when _dear sweet_ Lily Potter gave her life for her only son, she provided the ultimate protection!"

"I could not touch him!" He gestured at Harry, "It was _old_ magic. Something I should have foreseen! But no matter, no matter. Things… have changed!"

Voldemort darted forward and lifted his arm dramatically extending a finger, "I… can touch you… now!" And he pressed his finger right against Harry's scar.

Harry threw his head back and screamed as pain jolted through his body, worse than anything he had ever felt before. Voldemort was grinning widely.

That's when it happened.

One moment Voldemort was touching his forehead while Harry was pinned to the gravestone, struggling with the unmoving stone scythe holding him in place in an attempt to get away from the unending torture that Voldemort was causing him.

The next moment the entire gravestone nearly exploded as Harry suddenly forced it away from himself.

Only it was not a grudging inch by inch movement. No it was literally an explosion.

Voldemort had time to widen his eyes in shock while his body was suddenly flying across the graveyard only to come to a quick and abrupt stop as he smashed head first into another ornate statue.

Harry had stumbled to his hands and knees looking around wildly in confusion… or for his wand, unable to find it anywhere.

The Death Eaters who before had been watching in almost worshipful reverence had been stunned into inaction as all of them stared for a few moments uncertain what to do. Lucius reacted first, his wand napping forward and unleashing a spell on Harry.

It impacted on Harry's shoulder and he saw a small amount of blood burst from it before the pain registered in his head, and as if it opened the floodgates all of the death eaters cast a variety of spells at him.

Harry screamed out in pain from the sudden onslaught

Only for his scream to be silenced when one of them cast a killing curse. Harry blurrily saw the green light coming at him but couldn't process fast enough before the killing curse hit him straight on and suddenly it all went dark.

oOooOoOOoOooOo

Harry suddenly found himself elsewhere. He opened his eyes slowly, and found himself on the ground in a place that was very white.

He realized two things.

First: He was naked. Not a good thing in most circumstances, but something he viewed as particularly bad given the last thing he remembered he was surrounded by people who hated him and wanted to do him harm.

Second: Not far away was an absolutely horrific misshapen creature. It was curled up in the fetal position, splayed upon the ground as if someone had negligently tossed it there before all knowledge of it was forgotten. Harry realized that it was nearly the same pale sickly white as Voldemort, and the face definitely resembled the one he had just seen on the resurrected Dark Lord.

Harry immediately scooted away in an awkward backwards crab-walk from the thing, though the creature made no move to attack or even acknowledge him through its plaintive cries.

He awkwardly stood up, and looked down at himself, once more becoming very self-conscious, wishing that he had clothes. As if responding to his will, suddenly he found himself clothed in pants and a t-shirt.

Feeling more comfortable now that he was no longer nude in an unknown place, he found himself looking around at the area that he discovered himself in. It took him a minute to realize it looked like King's cross.

If King's Cross were pristinely clean. And glowed white. And was empty of people.

He wasn't sure which one of those options were least likely to happen. But mentally filed all three under the "When Hell freezes over" kind of strange that typically occurred in his life.

His introspection was interrupted by a soft, almost reverent voice from behind him, "Harry… my baby..."

Harry whirled around with wide eyes.

Standing there were the people he had only seen in his photo album, nightmares, and in the Mirror of Erised.

Lily Potter had both of her hands clasped to her mouth and was clearly fighting the tears welling up in her eyes. She looked like she might collapse at any moment from weak knees as she stared at him.

Beside her with his arm around her shoulder, probably the only thing keeping her upright was a man that could only be his father. Harry saw for himself that the images he had seen were accurate, the man had the same dark black hair, and a similar facial structure.

Harry noted all of this in the corner of his mind as his jaw dropped in disbelief and he took a small hesitant step towards them, as if getting too close would be all it took for the people in front of him to just fade away, or he was going to run into a reflective piece of glass like he had so many nights during his first year staring at the Mirror of Erised.

However, that small step forward was all it took to open the floodgates.

Lily Potter lost all pretense of composure. She lurched forward forcefully out of James' grip and threw herself forward, hitting Harry like a missile and wrapping him up in her arms while sobbing loudly as she repeated over and over. "I'm sorry… I'm _so_ sorry."

Harry didn't know what she was apologizing for. He couldn't even get in a word in to ask her. She was clinging to him and was nearly hysterical. However the thought that was foremost on his brain was that his mother was hugging him.

It was something he had dreamed of for years. His brain caught up with his actions and his armed wrapped around her tightly, and refused to let go. He found himself weeping softly as well.

A moment later he felt another arm settle over his shoulders and squeeze him in close. Harry looked up at the touch as he realized that his father had joined the embrace as James Potter pulled Harry and his wife into an embrace as he also hugged his son. He could see in his father's face, the tears that were also in his eyes, though he kept his composure moderately better than his wife or son.

It was several minutes later before they calmed themselves. James stepped back to give Harry a little bit of breathing room, he didn't step far away, his hand remaining on Harry's shoulder.

Lily on the other hand patently refused to let go of Harry, and every time he so much as shifted his body she squeezed tighter, as if afraid he would be pulled from her. For his part Harry made no move to pull away, breathing in deeply, and just relishing the feel of finally holding his mother after so long.

"Why are you sorry?" Harry asked quietly, once her sobs had calmed to merely sniffles, though he didn't pull away to ask the question.

Lily hiccupped softly, but took a breath to forestall another round of sobbing. Instead she leaned her torso back slightly to look upon him directly, her hand reaching up to brush her fingers over his face, cheek and through his hair. Harry found himself looking into eyes that were so similar to the ones he saw in the mirror every day.

"I'm so sorry we weren't there for you. That we died and you were raised by that… that…" Lily seemed to struggle to form the words.

"Fucking bitch and her bloody erumpet of a husband," James added helpfully, if a bit darkly.

Harry shook his head slightly, as his mind finally started to process what was happening and where he was, "So… I… I'm dead?" He asked hesitantly, taking several times to finally form the question, once the reality of what was happening set in.

He found that it really wasn't as horrifying a concern as he thought it might otherwise be. He saw his parents exchange a look but another horrifying realization struck him. "Cedric Diggory… is he…"

Lily and James both bowed their heads, "The traitorous rat hit him with a Killing Curse. I'm sorry Harry… he is dead." Lily said quietly, speaking for both of them.

Harry flinched and bowed his head. It was _his_ fault the boy was dead. Tears sprung to his eye and he clenched his eyes tightly. He attempted to pull away from Lily not wanting to see the disappointment he felt reflected in her eyes as he was sure it would be.

Lily had other ideas as she shook her head and pulled him close, not letting him pull away, "Baby, it's okay. It's _not_ your fault. Cedric has passed through already and told us that he doesn't blame you." She said as if she could read her son's mind.

Harry tried to pull away for a few more seconds but didn't have the heart or will to fight to pull away from his mother's arms. "How can he not? It's all my fault. I insisted… I practically _made_ him take the cup with me. I couldn't do anything and just stood there while Wormtail killed him! I was completely helpless and couldn't do a thing about it."

Harry haltingly looked up at his mother, and only the understanding and complete lack of accusation he saw in her face kept him from breaking down completely once more.

"No, Harry! It's _Voldemort's_ fault for starting all this. It's _Peter's_ fault for casting the curse, it's _Dumbledore's_ for allowing the farce of a tournament, and the crap in the wizarding world. It's the _wizarding world's_ fault for allowing all of it happen in the first place time and time again," said Lily, her famous temper he'd heard so much about building up steam, even causing her husband's eyes to slightly widen, before she stopped suddenly, deflated, and cupped one side of her son's face.

"But you tried. You just... can't save everyone." Lily said quietly but with absolute conviction in her voice, as she used her thumb to wipe a tear from Harry's face.

Harry looked up at her and took a small breath, no one had ever done that before. The tiny gesture alone was more comfort than he had ever received from an authority figure in his entire life. He wasn't sure he could agree with the fault not being at least partially his, but he wasn't going to argue, not now.

He sighed softly and allowed a small smile to cross his face. "And now I'm dead too," he stated quietly.

He was strangely comfortable with the concept. The idea of not putting up with the Wizarding World or the Dursley's becoming rather calming as he thought of the prospect.

"Not if you don't want to be." James replied quietly, entering the conversation for the second time.

Harry tilted his head to look at his father surprised etched on his face.

James turned and pointed at the disgusting creature still curled up some distance away. " _That_ was a piece of Voldemort inside you. When you were hit by the killing curse, it separated from you. Now… the choice is yours. You can choose to go on, or chose to return."

Harry couldn't hide the revulsion on his face or in his voice as he looked at the deformed baby, "What was a piece of _him_ doing inside of me?"

James and Lily exchanged a look before Lily spoke up, "It was something Voldemort did to himself. He used some of the darkest magics available, including murder, and split his own soul. Then he put pieces of that soul in different objects, creating anchors for himself so that when he lost his body, his soul didn't pass on."

"That's why he won't die," Harry said as his mother's words sank in.

"Yes." James answered.

"Why on Earth would he put one in me?" Harry couldn't help but ask. "That doesn't make any sense at all if he's trying to stay alive."

It was Lily that spoke up in response, her tone was explaining but soothing as she stroked his brow lightly, "He didn't mean to, as far as we know he doesn't even _know_ that he did. When the killing curse rebounded his soul was so unstable that a sliver broke off and was lodged in the tiny crack in the protections my sacrifice left in you right before it sealed itself over. The tiny crack caused by the killing curse."

"Our deaths protected you from the curse and helped protect you from the piece infecting your personality and your soul," Lily continued solemnly, before she brightened a bit, "Now because it was in you, you have your choice. It can pay the price of the Killing Curse instead of you. You can move on, or you can return."

Harry wasn't certain what to think about that. It explained why Voldemort was still around... but.. .

He wasn't sure he just wanted to be dead… but here he was with people that loved him.

Seeing the indecision on Harry's face James spoke again "Before you choose there's some things you need to know."

When Harry looked at him curiously, James shrugged and then gestured, a couch appeared as if conjured. Harry idly recognized it as the same as one of the comfortable ones that sat in Gryffindor common room.

James nudged his wife and Harry to both sit on the couch. It was a slightly challenging task as Lily refused to relinquish her grip on him. But after a bit of shifting they managed it. Harry found himself sitting with his mother on one side and his father on the other.

Though once they actually got situated with Lily settling for squeezing Harry close, James looked puzzled for a moment. "I'm… actually not sure where to start…"

When the silence dragged on for a moment, Lily spoke up first, "Before you were born. There was a prophecy. The exact wording is sort of stupid, but essentially it says you are the only one who can kill Voldemort. One of you has to kill the other. It also said you would have a power he didn't know."

"Me? Why me?" Harry asked in disbelief.

Lily looked at James for a moment, her gaze somewhere between anger and accusation,

"To be fair. We're not certain." James hedged slightly.

"Dumbledore thinks it's 'love'. And expects you to die for the Wizarding World," Lily spat.

Harry looked up sharply, his eyes narrowing. He wanted to disagree, he really did, but even he had his doubts after the past year.

He focused on what she said though, remembering a conversation he had with Dumbledore during the first year, after his confrontation with Quirrelmort. Harry remembered Dumbledore talking about Quirrell being unable to touch him, because of the mark his mother's sacrifice left. He remembered reaching up to touch his scar and Dumbledore saying no, it couldn't be seen, that it was inside him. When Harry had asked what it was, Dumbledore had replied that it was love.

"You… think it's something else?" He asked.

James spoke quietly. "Like I said, we're not sure, but we think part of it has to do with the half of your heritage. Specifically the origins of the man who sired me."

Harry just looked at his father with confusion. Lily had sat back at this point and was idly running her hands through her son's hair. Harry, never one for being touched often, found he didn't mind in the slightest.

James sighed a little bit, "What do you know of your grandparents?"

Harry shook his head slightly and immediately replied, "Nothing. From both sides _Petunia_ would never speak of her parents, and no one has ever told me anything about yours except for a quick thing about Sirius moving in with you."

No one had ever said anything to him about them at all now that he thought about it.

James' eyes narrowed and he growled out slowly, "Dumbledore… _again."_

Lily glanced at him and nodded a little bit in agreement but said nothing more. James looked down at Harry and ran a hand over his face. "What do you know of pure blood families then?" he asked.

"Um. I know Draco Malfoy is a whiny little bitch?" Harry ventured.

Lily started to giggle a little bit, "Sounds pretty much exactly like his daddy, Lucius."

James nodded in agreement. "He was so irritating. A born bootlicker. It was always, 'When my father hears about this!'" James mocked, doing a rather accurate impression. "We were five years younger than the arrogant idiot, and he would still whine that he would run to his father when a pair of third year's outsmarted him as a seventh year."

Harry snickered a little bit, and then smirked up at his father, "Every time, right after you embarrassed the prat?"

James grinned at his son and nodded. "Exactly." He ruffled his son's hair briefly before Lily returned to stroking it gently trying futilely to put it into some semblance of order, and not minding at all that it seemed to be a hopeless case.

"Well, I'll skip a lot of the meaningless details. But it was pretty much what the war with Voldemort was ostensibly over. The purity of blood." James explained. "Though really, it was so Voldemort could have a cause in his bid for power. He wasn't even a Pureblood. It was just something he could latch on to."

Harry nodded, "Yeah I know, he had a muggle father."

"Yes, though he was powerful enough, with a lineage to Slytherin, and with ideals that said that Purebloods should rule over everyone. So people eagerly followed him." James shook his head slightly, "That's beside the point. The fact of the matter is, that Purebloods are entrenched in power, but the truth is, they're dying out."

Harry looked up at James in confusion. He hadn't known that, wasn't sure how his father knew that and was trying to see what his father's point was.

"They're becoming very inbred, all in order to keep the purity of their blood." James explained seeing the look on his son's face.

"As one example, your godfather Sirius' parents were first cousins," James said. "And his mother especially was a piece of work," he shuddered theatrically after he spoke.

Harry scrunched up his face and then nodded slowly as he processed that.

"Craziness runs in that family," James added after a moment.

"Sirius certainly didn't escape it." Lily added.

"The point is, that Purebloods families are dying off more and more because of their inbreeding problem. More squibs are popping up everywhere, and infertility is happening even in magical family members who are not closely related," James finished, bringing the topic back.

"O...kay…" Harry said, now completely lost as to the point of the story. and what it had, if anything, to do with his own heritage.

James gave him an understanding look, "It was a problem my father Charlus had. Before she died of dragonpox shortly after the start of the war with Grindelwald, he and his wife discovered that he couldn't have children."

"But… then…" Harry looked at his father meaningfully, the question on his face obvious.

"Then where did I come from?" James asked with a chuckle.

Harry nodded a little bit.

"My mother, your grandmother, Dorea Black… was quite the rebel. She studied a wide variety of magic, and did a lot of traveling, venturing out into the world." James started to explain. "She was a youngest daughter, and her father doted on her, so she had a lot more freedom than was common for most pureblooded women, especially during that time."

Lily snorted but didn't say anything else.

"Apparently, on one of her trips she met someone. She said he was unlike any person she ever met before. She said his name was Nolan. He was not human," James said solemnly

Harry tilted his head, "What? What was he? A werewolf or a vampire or something? A male Veela?"

James snorted slightly. "No, he wasn't a werewolf. And there was certainly no Veela involved. Nolan didn't have magic at all..."

"What was he?" Harry asked, confused.

"He wasn't from this planet…" James said quietly.

Harry stared at his father for several moments before a smile began to cross his face, "You know… Sirius warned me you were a prankster…" His voice trailed off at the distinctly _unfunny_ expression on his father's face.

Lily shook her head softly and spoke. "He's telling the truth."

Harry looked back and forth between them, confusion warring with disbelief on his face. "What…?" he trailed off uncertainly, unsure of how to phrase it.

"He was not from this Earth. He was an alien or at least that's what he claimed," James said to be clear, and then added somewhat sheepishly, "Of course, he also claimed to be from another dimension."

Harry blinked, "Was he insane?"

James snorted a little bit, "Truthfully? We don't know. He and my mother only spent a few weeks together. He claimed he was fighting someone when in the course of the battle they managed to send him to this dimension. He was just waiting for one of his allies to find and retrieve him."

"Okay…" Harry repeated, already having a sinking sensation as to where this was going.

James shrugged slightly, "Mum said she woke up in the middle of the night one night, to a high pitched whine of some sort, and she watched as he disappeared in a flash of light. One minute he was there, the next he was gone."

James sighed a bit and slumped. "My mother ended up pregnant with me. No matter how forgiving her father was to her behavior usually, she knew an unwed pregnancy was not something he was going to accept. He would have kicked her from the family, as an example if nothing else."

"However, my mother had made some friends, she was a frequent guests of libraries, and enjoyed talking about history. Something that endeared her to Charlus Potter." James continued quietly, his voice solemn, "When she discovered she was pregnant, she went to him, and asked for his help. He was fond of her and was sympathetic to her plight."

"Not to mention like all Potters, seemed to have something of a hero complex," Lily interjected with a fond smile at her husband.

"A saving people thing," Harry said wryly.

His mother smiled and nodded, "Quite."

"So they got married quickly, a bit of a whirlwind romance it seemed to everyone. But despite the age disparity the Blacks were proud that their little 'rebel' had snagged the head of the Potter family," James added, "They certainly didn't care about the age difference either. It was such a huge coup for what was traditionally one of, if not _the,_ magicallydarkest family to suddenly be married into one of the ones with a reputation of… while I won't say lighter magic, I will say that Potters were known to go their own way. We had a reputation for championing causes and overcoming odds."

"Eight or so months later, I was born." James finished somewhat unnecessarily, causing his wife to snort in amusement.

Harry stared at his father for several long seconds, "So… you're telling me that my biological paternal grandfather… was an alien?"

"That's what he told my mother." James agreed. "She said he didn't seem insane, and that he had some abilities that she initially thought were some impressive pieces of wandless magic."

"Why do you look human? Why aren't you…. I don't know… green? Or have tentacles in odd places or something?" Harry ventured with one of the few bits of science fiction he had ever caught on the telly.

Lily snorted and then broke out in giggles, giving Harry an affectionate squeeze.

James looked rueful, "Your mother asked the same exact questions when I told her. Though… the tentacles could've been fun on occasion."

James received a slap for that comment from Lily, while Harry tilted his head once more demanding an explanation to the original question.

his father nodded solemnly. "She said he looked similar to any other human, he was a larger man, bulky. He said that dark hair and eyes tended to be traits of his race."

"Which is why you look so much like your father," Lily said with a smile, fingers still trailing through Harry's hair.

"With your eyes." Harry said, a shy smile on his face as he repeated the oft heard phrase to her.

She nodded with a matching smile on her face, "With my eyes."

"My mother said that she, during the few weeks she spent with him they only talked a little, and it was about random topics." James said delicately.

"They were too busy shagging like bunnies." Lily interjected.

James winced. "Hey, that's my mum."

Lily patted her husband's arm gently. but her grin was mischievous "That's kind of the point isn't it?"

James shook his head, looking a little embarrassed, "One of the things she said that he had mentioned to her was that his race were warriors, survivors, and above all they tend to be conquerors."

James looked somewhat abashed. "She said he was arrogant enough that she had no trouble believing that part."

James looked a bit uncomfortable with the idea, but clearly wanted to lay it all out for his son.

"Okay…" Harry said uncertainly. "I'm not sure why it's such a big deal, if they look human and all…"

"It's a big deal because he was clear that just because he looked human. He was anything but." James said quietly.

"How so?" Harry asked quietly. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop here.

"Their biology was incredibly different. They had powers and abilities far beyond humans." James explained.

"Like Magic?" Harry asked,

James shook his head quickly. "Like physical abilities. They could fly, move at incredible speeds. Had incredible strength, stamina, and durability. My mother was particularly complimentary of the stamina part."

He grimaced slightly at admitting that, pushing on so as not to dwell on a topic that required thinking of his own mother in _that_ way. "And I'm talking immense, far _far_ beyond troll, or giant or dragon."

"If you were more aware of the muggle world, you'd have seen news of others there with more comparable powers." Lily added somewhat bitterly.

Harry frowned. "Okay… but I can't do any of that stuff… I'm just… Harry."

James shook his head, "You can't do any of that stuff because, under normal circumstances... according to him, those powers don't manifest until you're in your early to mid twenties."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"One of the things Nolan and my mother _did_ talk about was a discussion of children. Not of having them. They simply compared the way his culture treated children, with hers. Apparently it came about because she had mentioned taking precautions." James added wryly, "Precautions that thankfully didn't work."

"However we've watched and the things that he told her, you've already seen some evidence of it," Lily interjected, directing the conversation away from her husband's discomfort.

"I have?" Harry asked

James nodded. "You're a natural flyer. That's instinct. Something that apparently comes with ease and no training."

"You also heal quickly from injuries that would otherwise last for weeks or months." Lily added, "Not that I'm particularly pleased about being aware of that…"

Harry glanced back at her, and saw that her eyes were narrowed in anger and that her eyes seemed to nearly flame for a few moments, but it was clear by her stare, that her anger was definitely not directed at him. This was reinforced as she gave him a gentle hug as if reassuring herself of his presence now. .

James spoke up, adding on, "Their biology allowed them to heal quickly from wounds that would kill normal people, and come out stronger for it."

"And once something hurt them, if they didn't die… then they recovered and that same thing would have a negligible effect on them if exposed again. It would have no chance to hurt them then, much less kill them. And they were _very_ hard to kill." James added. "We didn't realize it until late in my teens that specific trait also impacted magic and we kept it _very_ quiet. Not even the other Marauders knew about it. Only my parents, and Lily knew about it. But I was never hurt by the same curse twice. If the first time magic was used on me, it hurt me, the second time it didn't affect me at all."

"There was also the basilisk." Lily added.

"The basilisk?" Harry echoed, his mind focusing on a familiar detail as he struggled to process what was being told to him.

"Yes," James agreed, "Basilisk venom is not only incredibly deadly, it is incredibly corrosive. I'm sure you noticed the effects when you stabbed Riddle's diary. Which by the way was another one of his soul anchors."

"Venom from basilisks is basically like acid, and humans die within _seconds_ of being bitten." Lily added. "That's not mentioning that the bodies actually begin to digest within about a minute due to the corrosion."

"Apparently, Nolan told Mum that, because of the planet they called home, they were extremely resistant to toxins. So your body was already fighting it off. I'm not sure if Fawkes crying on the wound saved you from the poison or merely the corrosive effects, though your body was already fighting it." James said with a somewhat puzzled look on his face.

Harry stared as he thought about it. He hadn't considered that before.

"The rest of the abilities apparently don't show up until later." James said with a wave of his hand.

"At least under normal circumstances," Lily said quietly.

Harry frowned slowly at those words, before he looked up, realization crossing his features.

"Yeah, my mother wasn't really sure what that meant," James said, "But I can pretty much guarantee being tied up and tortured in a graveyard, is definitely not anywhere near 'normal' circumstances."

"So… that wasn't accidental magic?" Harry asked weakly remembering the gravestone practically exploding around him.

"No, it was your powers coming out a decade before they should have," James replied quietly.

"So I'm not human. I'm not even a Potter..." Harry muttered and looked down at his hands helplessly, finally unable to just assume this wasn't all a bizarre dream or a joke. The words of his aunt and uncle rang in his head, and he whispered harshly, "I'm... I'm a _freak."_

"No. you're not!" Lily's voice was sharp and immediate. As she shifted to take both of his hands in her own, squeezing them. Then her tone turned somewhat soothing but didn't lose its intensity. "You have never been, are not, and will _never_ be a _freak._ What you are is _my_ son. _Our_ son. The one person we both love more than life itself."

Harry looked up at both of them, his eyes searching theirs for any hint of disappointment or of lie. He couldn't keep that disbelief off his face. For the first time someone telling him that he wasn't a freak.

James shifted off the couch and crouched down in front of his son, looking up at Harry, intensity in his dark eyes, "Make no mistake about it. Charlus Potter magically adopted me, though obviously in secret. In every sense except perhaps biological, he was my father. He raised me. Loved me. Doted on me like his own."

James placed his hands over his wife's who were still squeezing Harry's tightly. "You are my son. Our son, Harry James Potter, and you are every hope and dream that your mother and I ever had. And we both love you with all that we are."

Harry felt tears well up in his eyes at that and tried to blink them away, but his brow started to tremble, and then his jaw, and despite his best efforts, he burst into tears. Immediately his mother had pulled him against her and wrapped her arms around him once more while he sobbed into her neck.

A moment later his father's arms engulfed them both. It took several minutes for any of them to regain their composure. The only thing that kept Harry from being humiliated was the fact that both his mother and father had unabashed tear tracks down their own faces.

"I'm sorry." Harry said softly looking down.

"Don't be." Lily said immediately, "Despite how you've been raised by that bitch I used to call my sister. Emotions and feelings are not things to be embarrassed by or to be walled and never shown. Never be ashamed of how you feel."

Harry bit his lip tightly, unsure how to reply to that, but James shook his head as well. "Harry, you are who you are and we are proud of you. Despite everything you are still a good person, but do not be afraid to show emotion. You are not always fine. Getting angry. Being happy. Being sad. Those are all okay, and anyone who would think less of you for those emotions isn't worth your time."

Lily's voice was soft, as she wanted to make something clear before he had time to consider it himself without them there to reassure him. "Harry, Voldemort targeted you because of that fucking prophecy. We trusted the wrong person, and that is our fault. But we do not for one second regret sacrificing ourselves to save you. Nor do we want you to just throw your life away because you feel obligated."

"Or because some old man had you raised so that you would be groomed to be a martyr," James added darkly.

Harry looked up once more seeking reassurance from both of them and all he saw was love and concern radiating back at him.

He didn't know what to say, so he coughed lightly and looked down, bringing the topic back to less emotional grounds.

"So if I go back, I have all of that to look forward to, being strong, being able to fly without a broom?"

"We… don't know." James admitted quietly.

That threw Harry off, and seemed counter to everything they just said.

"Okay, not totally true," James amended, "But with the exception of my growing immunity to curses, and flying skills, my abilities never truly activated before I was hit with the killing curse. Something, unlike you, which I _didn't_ have a 'Get Out of Jail Free" card given to me by my mum for. So we have no idea what will happen."

"You said growing immunity…" Harry nodded slowly and chewed on the inside of his cheek. "So the killing curse still works."

"It worked for me because it killed me on the first shot. There was no way for me to recover," James shrugged helplessly, "Just boom… I was dead."

"But it won't hurt you anymore." Lily's smile was almost feral. "You've been hit with it now… we gave our lives to protect you from it… and that thing stuck in your head finished the process. If you go back. It won't hurt you anymore."

"What happens if I don't want to go back?" Harry asked quietly. His voice was almost timid. He was scared they'd be disappointed in him for even asking… but… he had felt more caring and love here than he had in his entire life.

Lily turned and faced him, taking his hands in hers once more and met his eyes, so startlingly like her own. "Harry, I won't lie to you. You've had a rough life."

Lily's eyes darkened. "Dumbledore putting you with my bitch sister, in the hopes of keeping you beaten down physically and emotionally…"

James voice was a snarl, "He needed a fucking martyr and wanted to make sure you didn't get the 'Potter arrogance' and decided the best way to accomplish that was to put you with magic hating relatives."

His expression turned sheepish, "Apparently confidence is a fairly standard trait of our race. At least according to my mother. Though she called it arrogance. It just happened that it was a trait the Potter family was also known for as well."

Lily just shook her head, focusing on Harry. "Your years at school have been no different. Because of that prophecy," Lily she, practically spitting the words out of her mouth.

Harry looked at her and his eyes narrowed slowly, then said, "Dumbledore knew."

James didn't say anything but his jaw clenched in anger. Lily's eyes flashed and she nodded slowly.

"That's what he's been doing." Harry said slowly as pieces started to fall into place. "He's been trying to arrange confrontations between the two of us since my first year."

"He's definitely got your brains Lils," James said quietly.

"He set up the stone in the castle to draw Voldemort there... and set traps we could get past..." Harry continued quietly as an explosion of understanding occurred. "Then this year he let the tournament happen."

Harry's voice was rising in anger as he realized just how much he had been set up. He felt his mother squeeze his hands gently, causing him to look in her eyes. Her understanding gaze reassured him and he took a deep breath.

Another thought occurred to him and his eyes narrowed. "Did he also set up Sirius in Azkaban?" He asked quietly.

James sighed a little, "Not entirely."

Lily's eyes flashed in her own anger. "Your impulsive hotheaded prat of a godfather went after Pettigrew on his own. Never once stopping to think that everyone would think him a traitor."

"He abandoned his responsibility to you on his quest for revenge," her voice was angry and accusing.

"To be fair, he sort of lost it," James voice was more soothing, "He essentially lost three of his best friends all in one night, and seemed like he was in shock."

Lily shook her head slightly, "Doesn't excuse it."

"I know. Just there were some mitigating factors," James defended.

"But Dumbledore didn't help, didn't get him a trial for which he would have been forced to testify with veritaserum," James added, anger building in his voice.

"Just let him rot there for thirteen years," Lily spat, "And hasn't done anything to force a trial since then, even after you told him of Padfoot's innocence..."

James nodded in complete agreement.

"So why should I go back if he's actively trying to screw me over?" Harry demanded.

"You don't have to," James responded instantly.

"And you can stay with us forever… but…" Lily added almost immediately

"But?" Harry asked, his tone filled with a tinge of dread.

"But… if you go back. Who says you have to keep following Dumbledore's lead?" Lily asked with a wicked grin on her voice.

"What choice do I have?" Harry asked with a sound of resignation

Lily's grin was once more vicious and James had a smirk of his own on his face as he replied. "Dumbledore and the Ministry messed up. You were entered in the tournament. A tournament explicitly for wizards who are _of age_."

"When they did that they stated that you were of sufficient capacity to enter a magically binding contract," Lily's voice was nearly gleeful.

"Essentially... they declared you an adult. Making you responsible for yourself," James explained.

"And the instant you stepped in to confront that bloody dragon, you accepted the contract," Lily added.

"So... if I go back..." Harry trailed off, uncertainly.

"Before… you couldn't access most of the family wealth. But now? You are responsible for yourself. They can't tell you where to go," James said.

"You have access to all of your inheritance, without a damn thing Dumbledore can do to stop you. The wealth of the Potter family, which is… a rather large amount of money. No more requirement to go to magical school, or anywhere else," Lily said, before her face took on a particularly murderous glint, "Including back with my bitch sister."

Harry smiled at his mother's vitriol. He was glad that someone seemed to find it unacceptable.

He bit his lip and then looked up at his father and then into his mother's eyes, "But Mum,... if I go back... I won't... see you..."

"We will always be here watching over you until you join us. But… we would want it to by your own decision, and not one forced upon you. That's why we're giving you this choice rather than telling you what to do," Lily responded quietly.

"And you never know... maybe we might meet again before you come to the afterlife," James added.

"You are the last Potter," James spoke again after several long moments of silence, "We want you to live your life. Go out have fun. Have your own adventures away from a dying society and meddlesome old men. Go explore the world. Meet new people."

Lily turned to glare at her husband for a moment, though there was no real anger in her expression before she turned back to Harry "Do what makes you happy Harry."

"You should do stuff for you. Go see the wonders of the world. Buy an expensive motorbike and just go somewhere. Go to expensive or historic restaurants," James said. "Go catch some bad movies at the cinema and make out with a girl in the back row of an empty theater."

"Go see some of the historical sights of Europe. See the Parthenon in Greece, cruise down the Nile, hike the Great Wall of China," Lily expanded, "Read a book for the enjoyment of reading it without being nagged to do it. Go sit on the beach and watch a sunset and a sunrise just for the enjoyment."

"Start a few bar fights… erm. Well that part probably isn't a good idea with your strength, but at least close down a few bars. Meet some girls, have a few pregnancy scares," James gestured emphatically, only to be cut off with the sound of a light slap on the back of his head.

He rubbed it ruefully where his wife had just swatted him, and summarised lamely, "Just… have fun!"

"If you find some girl and want to settle down with her away from all this, great. If you want to become a celibate monk and study Gregorian chants, fantastic. If you want to shag half the women you see, and they're amenable, by all means." Lily's tone made it clear she was teasing.

James whose expression had morphed to one of horror at the monk suggestion on the other hand nodded rapidly in agreement with the last suggestion behind his wife's head

Lily didn't even turn around but kicked backward with her heel, causing him to whimper slightly. Though it didn't stop the older man's grin.

Harry watched the interaction and laughed at how playful the two seemed with one another. A shudder seemed to run through the representation of King's cross station.

"Your Time… is nearly up," spoke a female voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.

Harry looked around for the source of the voice but could find no one. He asked, curiosity in his tone, but no real expectation of being answers, "God is a female?"

"We don't have long," James said somberly, ignoring the question, but with reluctance in his voice. "You need to decide."

Harry looked back and forth between his Mother and Father for several drawn out moments as the temptation to stay with them warred with the idea of living his life. At long last he spoke quietly, if not entirely enthusiastically. "I'll go back."

Lily smiled and hugged him, though tears welled up in her eyes as well because she knew he'd miss them, and she would miss him. James nodded and clasped his shoulder in approval.

Harry looked back and forth between the two of them. "What do I do when I go back?"

"When you go back. You will still be surrounded by people who attacked you and who are partially responsible for the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands of muggles and magicals." James said, his voice turning hard.

"They killed us. They killed Cedric. Deal with them as you see fit." Lily added, her voice no less flinty. "I hope to see all of them pass through here shortly. In very small pieces. Their afterlife is going to be more than a little unpleasant. I intend to make sure of it."

James nodded. "After that? Your abilities have manifested and will grow the more you use them. They are not magical, and my mother said they won't be stopped by conventional magical means."

"Not to mention your magical powers will no longer have that disgusting leech on them." Lily added with a sneer at the body on the ground not far from them. She turned back to Harry and met his eyes seriously "Go where you want. The world is at your fingertips, don't let this small bigoted cloistered backwards world hold you within its confines. It's a small dying world that only exists mainly in a few forgotten pockets of Europe."

"We've found since we died, that they've lost all concept of what magic really is." James added.

Lily nodded, "There is so much in the world for you to find, those who have powers... some similar, some different, but they're out there. They're not held in a world whose only advance after the Victorian age was a knockoff version of a radio."

"And I doubt it will take you long to find them. Or them to find you," she added with a trace of warning in her voice.

"Remember," James said somberly. "Do what makes you happy. Spend your life on a beach watching sunsets and girls in bikinis. Take up motorcar racing. Take over the world. Take up residence on the moon. Leave the planet and explore the universe, since we don't know what's out there. Whatever!"

James looked at his son's eyes, making sure he understood the seriousness of his next words, "Remember. No matter what. We are proud of you and there is _nothing_ you can do that would make us not love you."

Lily leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Never doubt that we will _always_ love you."

Harry closed his eyes as he felt his mother's lips on his forehead and then felt them fade away.

His mother's voice was gentle, "And remember, while your protection may not work against the dark lord right now since he has your blood, it doesn't mean it's gone."

"Oh, and when you see Snape again, remind ole' Snivellus that, just like your father, your mother loves you with all her heart… and holds nothing but contempt for him." James voice said with a trace of anger.

"The death eater pointed Voldemort at our family. Then abuses my son. I hope his living existence is misery because when he dies he'll find out what true hell is." Lily's voice was filled with anger, even though he couldn't see her any more Harry could feel the caring for him in her voice.

"Remind him that he's nothing but a dirty greaseball, who holds a childish grudge against a dead man, taking it out on his son." James' final words hung in the air.

"And remember, we love you. Always and forever. No matter what." Lily's voice rang with finality.

Everything faded away in white.

oOoOooOOooOoOo

"He passed the test," the female voice spoke once more at King's Cross station, which now only housed Lily and James Potter.

"I don't like that you're testing him, like everyone else in his life." James said angrily, not even bothering to look around for the source of the voice as he kept his arms around his wife.

"Ah, but I am not life, nor am I arranging tests. He is simply overcoming circumstances. Circumstances that give him the opportunity to be something unique in existence," the female voice spoke. "If he succeeds, he has the chance to have an impact on more lives of people than he… or you for that matter, can even imagine exist."

"Do you want him to succeed?" Lily asked quietly.

"I… do not know," the female voice said. "On one hand he has been touched not only by me, but by my brother… and not just once, but multiple times. You know this. And his potential to impact things… is more interesting than anything I have seen since Litharge was granted its charter by myself and my siblings."

"And on the other?" Lily asked quietly, closing her eyes.

"On the other, the idea of being subjugated by him… by _anyone_ is unnerving. To say the least." The voice admitted quietly.

"Then why do this?" Lily demanded, her eyes flashing as she looked around.

There was a pause before the female voice replied quietly "Events… are in motion that would see someone encroach on my domain. If I do not chose a master, one may be forced upon me and do as much damage to the realm of the living as to that of the dead."

"I need someone who embraces life despite being faced and touched by Death. I need someone who will not break under the burden placed upon his shoulders, nor become corrupted by it," the voice which had grown emphatic and passionate once more turned cool and calm, "Harry Potter… is my choice."

"He is our son." James said his tone half resignation and half defiance.

"He is also one who may defy the gods. Who may... one day stand in the presence of the Endless," the voice said quietly. "I know not what path he may take… he is unique in existence because neither does my brother. That unnerves him most of all."

oOoOooOOooOoOo

When Harry reopened his eyes, he was lying face down and prone on the damp grass of the graveyard. On one hand, his body felt different, even the way he breathed was different, on the other he felt pain from a majority of it, though mostly on his chest.

Before he could even ponder the condition and location of his body, much less the life-changing conversation he had apparently just had with his dead parents, he was distracted by intense arguing occurring a mere few meters away from him.

"-aster wanted to kill him! You will be lucky if he doesn't cut out your entrails for doing it!"

"I took no chances! You saw what he did! He disembodied our Lord for thirteen years!" cried a voice Harry recognized as Lucius Malfoy's.

"I checked, and Harry Potter is dead. You best hope our Lord feels the same way you did, when he wakes up… otherwise you may end up the same way," the voice snarled.

For some reason, this statement kick started Harry's brain and thought process. The full impact of his current predicament hit him, and Harry's eyes snapped open. He frantically glanced around as inconspicuously as possible for his wand, before he remembered Voldemort still had it in his possession.

He hesitated a moment wondering if he should just keep playing dead. But if he did that, Voldemort would almost certainly wake soon and discover the ruse.

It was then that he realized his body didn't hurt as much as he expected, and he could see his cheeks and arms had blood on them. He could tell he was wounded… but… at the same time, his head was clear and even breathing felt easier. He felt power practically thrumming through his body. So great that, a burst of confidence in his ability to survive this situation came to him. He wondered if this was the Potter Arrogance in effect. He didn't care either way.

He was done being pushed around and afraid. That had been his entire year… hell his entire existence. The Dursleys, the students at Hogwarts, the teachers, the press. All felt like they could kick him around and bully him. He was done with that. He didn't have to earn their approval or love. He knew irrevocably that he _was_ loved by the people who meant most to him.

He also knew that if he was going to be killed again now, then he had two parents waiting for him who would welcome him with open and loving arms.

He abruptly, and almost casually pushed himself up and found it easy to stand up solidly on two feet. He looked around realizing that most of the Death Eaters were not facing his way, what drew his attention was that he could see them all clearly, though his glasses were also no longer on his face.

"It's not possible!" a voice, that was probably usually male, screeched like a harpy as his status of being alive was already discovered.

As one, the Death Eaters all turned to find Harry standing up. Every last one of them was immediately drawn to his eyes, which now glowed with an unholy emerald light.

As he waited to see how the Death Eaters would react, which in the back of his mind he honestly had no idea why he hadn't moved to attack first, he glanced down at his body. His shirt was nothing but a scrap as it hung across his torso now. His pants were ripped and shredded as well, his body was covered with bruises and deep gashes. But what most arrested his attention was that the cuts were quickly disappearing before his very eyes.

"Kill him!" a still maskless Lucius shouted hoarsely while interrupting Harry's self-inspection.

Clearly the blond man was far more terrified of a Harry Potter that refused to die than he was of his Master finding out that Lucius had killed him.

Almost as if rehearsed, the Death Eaters raised their wands as a group to point them at him, and before even one spell was fired, Harry simply reacted on instinct.

He leapt forward, covering over ten meters in a single movement, too fast for any normal human eye to follow. One moment, he was standing in front of the gravestone he shattered, and the next he was amongst them, heading directly toward Lucius Malfoy.

He threw a blind punch, hoping to stagger Malfoy enough to then find some cover, as useless of a plan as it might be in this situation. His fist connected with the elder Malfoy's face… only the result didn't stagger the man.

The first attack that utilized his newly awakened powers caused Lucius head to explode like a ripe melon. Harry felt the head barely resist the impact of his fist.

The sudden violent execution of the attempted murderer of Ginny Weasley froze Harry for only a moment as he stared at his hand covered in red blood and dark red globs that he would later realize was the dead man's brain matter.

It was a fighting faux paux. The equivalent of staring at your own explosions on a battlefield, and something that any veteran of combat would have chided him for had he managed to survive. However, it was far less damaging because all the Death Eaters in the clearing had done the same thing, staring at him in awe.

Up until that very moment, Harry hadn't quite understood what his father meant by an "increase in strength."

After a long moment, he looked up from his blood and gore covered fist and glanced at the surrounding Death Eaters.

As they gazed upon him, a fundamental shift occurred in every witness' mind. Fear was something they understood. They used it as a weapon. They had long been used to causing fear in their victims and terrifying a magic world that was even now afraid of so much as uttering their master's name. They were used to being only afraid of one thing; disappointing their master. The punishments for which were usually severe and involved prolonged exposure to the _cruciatus._

But now, each and every one present could easily admit to being absolutely terrified by the visage of the boy in front of them.

Their spell onslaught had shredded his champion's uniform, leaving only a scrap of fabric around his neck and shoulder, essentially making him shirtless from the waist up. They could see the various injuries they had inflicted closing up before their very eyes, even deep cutting curses were knitting.

His entire body was splattered in blood. Some of it was his, although a much fresher coat belonged to the now clearly dead Lucius.

Their hesitation would be the undoing of many as Harry seemed to get over his surprise first. He turned toward the nearest death eater and _attacked_. Physically leaping at him. The death eater let out a shrill cry that turned to a wet and gurgled gasp as Harry's first entered one side of his chest and exited the other.

A few death eaters instinctively tried to fire spells at the moving Harry, hoping to slow or stop him. The night filled with flashes of light, including the green of the killing curse.

Nothing was effective, the Death Eaters couldn't even tell if their spells landed with as fast as Harry was moving. Their actions cost those Death Eaters their lives as Harry attacked them, moving from one to another. Single blows from his fist able to land mortal and devastating blows to the death eaters.

His movements weren't elegant or done with any amount of skill, they were just blind punches or in some cases slashes with his hand laying flat in the form of a knife. The lack of skill was lost on the Death Eaters in the pandemonium as they fled.

Harry didn't hesitate further. These were the same people responsible for supporting the murderer of his parents. These were the same people that had terrorized a nation and had gotten off by claiming the _Imperius._ The same people who had been living their posh lives while his innocent godfather rotted in a prison. The same people responsible for inspiring fear in the masses and for killing Cedric Diggory. And the same people who had shown up without hesitation at their reborn master's call.

In the end two of the death eaters realized that it was a lost cause and apparated out of the graveyard. The rest were left in pieces laying on the ground.

Harry hadn't said anything as he attacked beyond the one inarticulate cry of rage. He stood in the graveyard, now completely drenched in blood.

His entire body was thrumming, practically vibrating with excitement, like a weight carried for so long was gone.

A groan caught his attention as he turned to look over at the source. He found Voldemort had been laid out, near where Harry had initially tossed him. Harry assumed that the Death Eaters had pulled him away from the mausoleum he had been thrown against.

Harry shifted toward the sound, he wanted to get a hold of his foe before Voldemort was conscious enough to flee from the scene as well. As if the thought directed his actions he found himself moving toward that direction… only he wasn't walking, he was floating.

His body floated so that it was hovering a few meters over Voldemort, who was slowly regaining consciousness. Nearby he noticed Wormtail's silver-handed form unconscious on the ground as well.

It took Harry a second to realize he was descending, and realized that he was floating directed by his own mind. He resisted the urge to take flight immediately, instead he moved to confront his parents' killer.

As he drifted down toward the body, a large snake reared up and hissed defensively _"You will not touch my Master!"_ before striking forward toward Harry with fangs bared.

Harry didn't have time to think about it. He reflexively caught the snake's head in his hand and squeezed, which crushed its skull, pulping the snakehead in a liquid mess that exploded outward in an arc of fluid, bone, and gore.

The entire body of the snake jerked and spasmed as it let out dying gurgle. A moment later, a hideous green face, apparently made of smoke, appeared and screamed, a cry of anguish and agony, before dissipating in the meager breeze.

Harry tossed the snake aside after staring at it in shock for a moment before his parents words came back to him. It only took him a moment to connect the dots and realize exactly what had once been contained in that snake, before his eyes once more focused on the dark lord on the ground.

Voldemort's eyes were fluttering as he clearly neared consciousness, and he put a hand to his head with a groan of pain. Harry glanced down and saw that even with what happened, the reborn wizard had kept ahold of his wand. It lay prone next to his body, still in his fingers, ready to be gripped and wielded.

Harry's eyes narrowed at the wand that had cast the curses that had killed his parents, and in that moment he descended from floating. With one movement his foot smashed down on the wand, and by extension Voldemort's hand, incidentally crushing both.

That woke the reborn Dark Lord up briefly, at least that's what Harry assumed happened based on the scream of agony from the humanoid thing… before he went silent once more.

Harry blinked at the sudden silence, peering downward.

The Dark Lord had bloody _fainted._

Harry couldn't help the way his mouth curled into a slight smile at the response before he reached down and with an ease that surprised him he lifted Voldemort up by the throat. This time there was no pain in touching the being. Nor was there fear of the vaguely humanoid wizard. Instead, all Harry felt was contempt.

It was at that moment that there was multiple a loud pop of a portkey appearing nearby.

"Aurors! Everyone freeze!" Shouted one of the men that had materialized with the pop of the portkey, causing Harry to turn and look at the group.

There were over a dozen people in the standard outfit Harry had come to recognize as aurors, though Harry also noted that Dumbledore, Mad Eye Moody, Cornelius Fudge, green bowler hat in hand and all, and Snape.

They all stared in surprise at the boy in front of them. The Boy-Who-Lived was standing there, clothing in shreds, covered in blood and holding someone... or some _thing_ up by its neck.

"What has happened here?" Dumbledore demanded as he took in more than the scene of Harry holding the figure by his neck.

Harry looked up, his anger still burning, if anything only getting more intense at seeing the man in front of him. "We were brought here by a portkey. The cup. We tried to get back, but Cedric was hit by a killing curse."

"I was invited for a front row seat to the Dark Lord's resurrection." Harry shook the still unconscious body of the dark lord he held by his neck as he held him out to the side of his body distastefully. .

There were gasps all around. "Is... that...?" a young female auror with distinctive pink hair started to ask, her voice shaking slightly.

Harry nodded and started to reply but was cut off by Moody whipping his wand forward and suddenly shouting, " _Avada Kedavra!"_

Harry's eyes widened in shock as he realized that the green light was headed directly for him and not for the dark lord hanging there in his grip. He knew his parents had said that the spell couldn't hurt him now, but it was one thing to know that and another to understand that instinctively. His response at having a spell shot at him was reflexive.

Even if it seemed the spell was moving in slow motion enough to dodge, he took Moody's advice from defense earlier in the year. He put the most convenient object possible between him and the curse.

An object which happened to be the Dark Lord's body in his hand.

The Dark Lord's body jerked and then went utterly slack in Harry's hand. A moment later a foul-looking shade emerged from the body with a howl of anger and anguish.

"Nooo!" the shade screamed out in loud in a voice filled with hate and despair. It had an ethereal quality to it that caused everyone to shudder.

His cry was echoed by a cry of horror from Moody. "Noo! Master!"

Snape's reaction was to clasp his arm and stagger backward as if physically struck.

"Potttterr!" The shade hissed, "This is not over! Enjoy your temporary victory! You cannot stop me forever! I will be back and next time the entire Wizarding World will remember why they're still afraid to say my name!"

The shade turned and then seemed to realize Dumbledore was there. It let out another shriek of impotent rage and immediately flew away.

Dumbledore seemed to gather his wits and shot a spell at the departing shade but missed as the shade disappeared into the night sky.

However his followup spell didn't miss though his target was not the dark lord's now departed shade. Instead, the old man had turned, stunned and petrified Moody. The grizzled auror offered no defense, as he seemed to be so horrified by his actions he hadn't even moved from his knees as he stared into the night sky where the shade had disappeared.

"Dumbledore what in blazes is going on?!" Fudge demanded looking around wildly. "That… that couldn't be…"

"That is exactly what I'm going to get to the bottom of," Dumbledore responded, his focus alternating between the stunned Moody and a Harry Potter who seemed _different_. "Please be patient and I'm sure we'll determine what has transpired."

"I guess I don't need this anymore," Harry said almost absently, tossing the body of the dark lord to the ground, in disgust. The body had begun to decompose to dust at a ridiculously fast pace.

Snape, who hadn't said anything when he recovered from whatever blow he had received when the Dark Lord had been struck by the spell, was quickly searching Moody's immobile body.

He pulled the flask away and sniffed it and then a double take. "Polyjuice!" he hissed softly.

He stepped back and pointed at the bound retired auror, "Whoever this is, it is not Alastor Moody!"

Harry happened to be looking at Dumbledore as Snape spoke, and saw the look of resignation and complete lack of surprise there. He clenched his fist slowly. The old man _knew_.

If anything, Harry knew that any resignation the old man felt was likely because the traitor's identify was going to be revealed now, rather than some method that had been planned for to benefit Dumbledore more.

One of the aurors who had taken this momentary respite to look around to be aware of any further attacks in the graveyard, ran up to Fudge, his face had a distinctly greenish pallor. "Sir, there's… got to be at least ten dead bodies over there. They're all in pieces like they were hit with blasting curses," he said as he delivered his report breathlessly.

He took a few steadying breaths, that seemed as much to keep his stomach contents in as it was to get air into his lungs. When he finally got control of himself, he continued, "They're all wearing death eater robes and masks. We've identified Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, and… we _think_ Lucius Malfoy. The body's head is gone, but I'd recognize that snakehead cane he has anywhere!"

Fudge's expression turned even more pale and he looked around wildly.

Dumbledore's face however looked ashen as he stared at Harry in horror, "Oh Harry… my boy, what have you done?"

Harry opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a desperate cry from another Auror.

"We've got a live one over here!" One of the voices of the aurors called out.

The unconscious form of a fat short man with a silver hand was levitated off the ground. Harry vaguely remembered tossing a death eater at the betrayer of his parents. Or rather he remembered batting the torso the upper half of a Death Eater at the man.

"Oi! I know him! His picture was in the paper last year. That's Peter Pettigrew..." the voice suddenly turned confused as he spoke aloud. "Isn't he supposed to be dead?

At that pronouncement, Fudge's expression turned sickly, and unfortunately for him, nearly everyone present saw it. The problem was, they were ministry employees, used to the corruption and all had no desire to potentially lose their jobs by pointing out a mistake to their boss beyond what their comrade had just done.

However, when Harry saw the fat man being levitated out, he had no problem commenting on the situation and letting everyone hear exactly what Fudge wouldn't want spread around, "He was the one that fired the killing curse at Cedric!"

Harry could almost see the Minister trying to come up with excuses or a plan, so he spoke up loudly, "Yes Minister, just like we told you last year, we saw Peter Pettigrew alive. He was the one who was my parent's secret keeper, and betrayer. Not Sirius Black. He was the one who murdered those muggles on a public street all those years ago. Not Sirius Black."

"Now he's responsible for the death of Cedric Diggory," Harry looked down at the now empty robes in front of him. "And tonight he was the chief brewer behind the resurrection of Voldemort!"

"Don't say his name!" Snape spat out suddenly amidst the almost unified shudder that gripped all present besides Harry and Dumbledore.

Harry almost laughed aloud, and it took every ounce of willpower he had not to spit in Snape's face at his cowardice. But he was heavily distracted as he could almost hear the wheels turn in the head of the old man who his parents had warned him about.

He watched as Dumbledore alternated between looking perturbed as he stared at the bound Mad Eye Moody and occasional glances at Harry. The boy showed no sign of being horrified at his actions even as he continued to stand there shirtless and covered in blood amidst the bodies of prominent and influential members of society. Dumbledore himself had worked so hard to hide his involvement in the pardoning of their crimes in the last war.

That worried Dumbledore almost as much as another escape by the spirit of the Dark Lord.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the body of the famous Auror on the ground, despite him being bound and petrified the man's body began to jerk and writhe. The fake eye was forced out of his face, and the leg was forcibly pushed away from where it connected at his knee.

Harry looked down in the same interest as everyone else as the man's skin began to ripple and seemed to fall away from the body as it contorted and jerked, the man letting out a gargled groan as it happened. A few moments later a much lankier, not to mention whole, man was revealed on the ground.

The man started to push himself up, since apparently the polyjuice wearing out had broken the magic that had petrified him. He was quickly wrapped up in ropes by one of the aurors who reacted first. And it was Snape that identified him.

"Barty Crouch Junior!" he hissed out.

Fudge stared and his mouth moved open and closed several times as his mind struggled to believe what he was seeing before him, "It's not possible, he was dead!"

"Apparently not…" Snape responded sharply.

"I guess we know how I was entered into the tournament," Harry said bitterly, making sure every single person heard.

He was tired of cover-ups and the lies. If Fudge was going to try and add to the list of crimes Harry had witnessed yet were never given public light, he was going to at least make sure every single person knew what Fudge was doing. Given the way the wizarding world seemed to work, rumor would get out no matter what they said.

Harry had no idea how right he was, given a small beetle that was currently sitting on the Minister's shoulder and hearing everything that happened.

Fudge, on the other hand, was struggling with having to make an actual decision for the first time in years without an advisor telling him exactly what to do secretly behind locked doors. He looked at the weeping Barty Crouch Jr. and then over to Pettigrew, at the dismembered bodies scattered around and then at obstinate and standoffish Harry Potter, and finally Dumbledore as he tried to put things together.

In the end, Fudge did the only thing his rather feeble mind could think to do in a situation where Lucius wasn't there to tell him how to react and Albums hadn't taken control of the entire situation already.

"Arrest them!" he finally shouted to no one in particular, all while waving his hands exasperatedly in the air and puffing his chest dramatically.

The reaction from those who had arrived with him certainly wasn't the one he expected from someone as important as he considered himself. as Aurors all looked at him in a completely confused and befuddled state. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Fudge remembered being chastised by Amelia Bones about exceeding the mandate of his office or some rubbish by ordering Aurors to perform tasks, but he immediately shunted it to a dark corner of his mind. Such things weren't relevant while in the midst of making ground-breaking decisions for the Wizarding World.

When they aurors around didn't move to obey he raised his voice , "I said arrest them! Arrest Crouch and Pettigrew… and _Potter_!" he demanded loudly.

"Cornelius…" Dumbledore started to say soothingly in a manner that set every adult present on edge.

"What?! For what?!" Harry blurted out in shock at the Minister interrupting whatever Dumbledore had been about to say. "Do you even have the authority to order Auror's to arrest anyone?"

Harry certainly hadn't expected the man to try to blatantly just hide this away like this under the banner of 'I'm in charge, do what I say'. Fudge wasn't used to being questioned about his actions when he finally made them though. For years, he had stuck to his guns and done exactly what his advisors said, and never wavered when others told him trifling things like 'We don't have the money for that,' or 'You don't have the authority to do that,' or 'Your secretaries can't be hired based on a veritaserum based interview about whether they'd sleep with you without additional charm and potion work being used.'

Actually being questioned in front of others now by the Boy-Who-Lived, and who he was quite miffed that he was still more popular than him in the polls, despite a year full of articles aimed at slandering him or his friends. This experience only seemed to make Fudge angrier.

The leader of Wizarding Britain puffed up like a peacock and stated aloud, almost to an enthralled audience who wasn't present, "I'm going to find out what happened here Potter! How Crouch Jr. and Pettigrew are alive, and arrest them and you in connection of the deaths of a dozen respected Wizards."

Harry's eyes narrowed and a sneer appeared on his face. "You mean the _marked_ Death Eaters that arrived at their master's call? Where he didn't have any opportunity to cast an _imperius_ curse, and they came at the first chance he had to call in almost fourteen years?"

"Of course you would say that, you are obviously responsible for their deaths!" Fudge spat, his face turning a remarkable shade of red and well on its way to darkening even more.

"You mean the ones who watched and laughed at me being tortured with the Cruciatus Curse? Who then tried to kill me after I knocked their bastard master across the graveyard. You're damn right. I did kill them!" Harry shot back at the Minister, his blood beginning to boil.

Cornelius' eyes widened and then a malicious grin appeared on his face as he looked around at the aurors who were watching the altercation between the minister and the Boy-Who-Lived. "You all heard him! He admitted it. Arrest him!"

Admit the mutters of 'sounds like self-defense to me,' from more than one Auror present, Harry merely laughed, "Arrested for defending myself in the face of Killing Curses. Even you can't be that dumb, Fudge. Even if these are the people who pay to keep you in office, even you can't actually believe you can find me guilty of any crime here at all."

When still no one rushed forward to implement his will, Fudge actually turned and shouted at the Aurors who looked at him like he was deranged, "I am the Minister! Arrest him or lose your jobs."

Only one of the Aurors stepped up to Harry slowly as the boy stared at the Minister in disbelief.

All were surprised that the boy didn't move an inch as the Auror snapped magical inhibiting cuffs on Harry's wrists, ones that Harry had recalled the false Moody had displayed in class that year. The bindings, in theory, worked to suppress a person's magic to keep them from casting or using any magic abilities . Harry felt a suddenly draining feeling on him, the longer the cuffs stayed in place, though he instinctively knew that they were _only_ inhibiting his magical abilities. It was more an annoyance than anything.

Harry only felt pity for those that believed that these small strips of rune-engraved metal would allow Fudge to cover the true events of this night up and make him go quietly into the night without a fight.

Cornelius Fudge was now practically salivating at what he perceived was going to be an easy series of events that would ultimately lead to his world being right again. "I think a stay in Azkaban will teach you to respect your Minister, boy!"

For the first time, an ugly look appeared on the Boy-Who-Lived's face, and all besides Fudge realized something had just fundamentally changed with the Minister's last words. The Auror's who had recently passed through Hogwarts recognized a sneer that would make Severus Snape proud, and the man himself, present next to Dumbledore, actually had a look of wounded pride at seeing a look on his usual victim.

"I will never respect a moron." Harry spat back at the man, losing any restraint or inclination to be polite or respectful to the man, before turning away and ignoring the way he swelled up.

Harry looked up at Dumbledore, he wasn't sure what he expected the Headmaster to do, so it was more out of curiosity than anything. Given the old wizard's previous behavior he expected some platitude or something from the man. He knew that, with everyone knowing of Voldemort's continued existence, Albus Dumbledore couldn't afford to throw away Harry at the moment, and figured the old man would be forced to intercede at this point.

The way his parents had described the situation, the old man had dedicated years to fulfilling his plans, and a monkey-wrench such as this wouldn't be allowed to take root and affect his goals.

However, Dumbledore just looked at him sadly, before he shook his head, "Harry, my boy, you are not helping matters at all with this behavior, even after you've been found at the scene of such a horrific crime.."

"I had no choice. It was me or them." Harry said stiffly, correctly reading that the Headmaster's disappointment lay solely with the deaths of the Death Eaters around them.

"My boy… there's always a choice." said the old man as he looked remorseful, as if he were about to cry. "There is always a choice between doing what is right and what is easy and you will have to face consequences of the choices you made. I'm afraid I will not be able to protect you from this."

Harry's head snapped up and he met Dumbledore's eyes for several seconds, his fists clenching tighter and tighter as he had the final remnants of any sort of respect he had for the older wizard shatter and he felt his rage grow. However instead of shouting about the injustice of it all, his response was completely different.

"Protect me, _Headmaster?_ " he asked with deceptive softness. A softness that everyone present instinctively recognized had something inherently _wrong_ to it. It was as if a spring that had been wound too tight had lost all its tension. A spring coiled after years or torque had been placed upon it.

A spring all of them now wished had never unwound.

"When have you _protected_ me?" Harry asked, his tone idly curious, though he didn't wait for a response. "You didn't protect me when you had a Voldemort possessed professor teaching students my first year."

"You didn't protect me from the basilisk roaming the halls at the school my second year. You don't do anything to stop the rampant bullying and abuse of students like Draco Malfoy… hell you don't even stop the bullying from teachers." Harry continued calmly. "You didn't protect me from your pet death eater Snape every time he decided to berate me and torment me because of my parents. Parent's whose deaths _he_ is directly responsible for."

Snape paled further than he usually did and just stared at Harry in impotent rage and disbelief. Dumbledore looked just as astonished at the revelation that Harry knew that information as anything else.

"Of course, those almost universally apply to the rest of the students in the school doesn't it? You didn't protect them from the abusive teacher or students either." Harry shook his head slowly.

"However, I _do_ have to thank you for clarifying where you stand, and your position on my life," Harry said, his voice overly calm and gentle. His arms held down in front of him in the magical cuffs. He looked thoughtful for a moment, "What's right and not what's easy? Interesting turn of phrase."

"Of course… what is _right_ would not have been sticking me with my aunt and uncle for the first ten years of my life in the hopes of keeping me timid and malleable as your perfect little martyr." Harry said quietly. "Happy for a respite to Hogwarts every year where I would be oh so grateful to you."

Harry's eyes were fixed on Dumbledore's face and to Harry the man's expression just confirmed everything that he was saying.

"What is right would have been _not_ allowing me to compete in a tournament this year in the hopes of sparking _another_ confrontation between Voldemort and I." Harry stated almost blandly. "Something you've tried three of the past four years to do, hoping to fulfill the prophecy..."

Dumbledore looked like he'd been punched in the gut as his mouth opened and closed, his face going completely pale at Harry's words. But, before he could say anything, Harry cut him off.

"What is _right_ would have been not to allow another Defense against the Dark Arts professor's attempt to kill me. That makes three out of four. It probably would have been four if Lockhart was competent with anything but memory charms," Harry's voice was getting louder, and stronger.

Dumbledore looked taken aback and couldn't figure out how to respond This was not the Harry Potter he was used to dealing with. Harry, when confronted with authority figures, should be submissive and timid. He should be willing to do what it take to please them. The idea of facing prison time should've been too much for the boy, causing him to almost shut down mentally as events spun faster than he could fix them.

But Harry somehow had knowledge that he had carefully concealed from the boy. He couldn't help but wonder if Voldemort had revealed that information to him.

Dumbledore was certain that around all of these aurors and other people he should be shying away from the attention, not wanting to be singled out or held up as 'different' in any way. Harry Potter should not have been standing there looking defiant and unbowed.

Especially not when with his wrists in magical inhibiting cuffs, something that should have had him nearly bent over from the drain on his magic, forcing a distinctive hunch as a wizard or witch's body, so used to having magic flow freely, was wracked with pain as it dealt with the impact of their own life force being used against them.

Despite standing there in naught but scraps of cloth hanging from his body, covered in blood and dirt, and in the magical inhibiting cuffs around his wrists, and threatened with the prospect of facing what was considered Hell on Earth by the Wizarding World. It was Harry who still somehow seemed in control of events at the moment.

"You finally made a mistake with your little plans though," he said, his voice still soft.

"He's not the one headed for a stay with the dementors, boy," Fudge replied once more, feeling the need to be heard amidst a conversation he would admit that he knew nothing about. "You'll spend the rest of your life in Azkaban, or… or maybe I'll have you kissed for the murder of so many wizards!"

It was Fudge's words more than anything that cemented his decision. The man had no intention of performing an investigation, a precedent Harry had personally witnessed twice with Hagrid and Sirius. There was nothing for him now in this world, other than Sirius, and even Fudge would be hard-pressed to hide the fact that Sirius wasn't responsible for his actions with an alive Pettigrew handed to the Auror's on a silver platter.

Harry ignored Fudge and turned to address the Aurors present rather than Dumbledore and Fudge, "You saw tonight. All of you. That shade. The spirit of Voldemort. He regained and lost a body tonight, and he'll do it again in the future."

"According to prophecy, if you chose to believe it, there's only one person who can stop him." Harry's voice was loud and carried to all parts of the graveyard, "And when he does finally come back. You're on your own."

Harry turned his head to look at Dumbledore, but he kept his voice loud, speaking to everyone there. "I won't do anything to help or so much as lift a finger to save your small-minded... inbred _pathetic_... little world any longer."

Dumbledore paled dramatically. There was no way to hide the contents of the prophecy now, even if he was the only one to hear it, Harry had said enough for people, even slow witted ones like Cornelius Fudge come to their own conclusions. He had to mitigate this, he had to calm tensions here. "Harry…" Dumbledore took a step forward toward Harry his hand raised in a calming motion.

"Fuck off old man. Fuck you. Fuck your death eater pet... and fuck your world. Find yourself another martyr." Harry spat, all pretense of calm or politeness gone from his face as he stepped back, "You get to lie in the bed you helped make."

A bitter smile crossed Harry's face. "Maybe if you're lucky, it'll be as comfortable as the cupboard I was forced to sleep in for the first ten years of my life with those magic hating child abusers you stuck me with."

Harry turned his head to look at several of the aurors who were staring at him, his eyes catching those of the distinctive pink haired auror who seemed not long out of Hogwarts and was definitely the youngest person there, but he spoke to them all, "You work for these idiots. Good luck. You're going to need it. You want my advice? Get the hell out of Britain and this shithole of a 'wizarding' world."

"How dare you!" The Minister bellowed, spittle flying from his mouth, finally seeming to come back to his senses as he had struggled with Harry's diatribe. "How dare you say something like that after admitting to murdering so many wizards?"

Harry smiled another cold smile, one devoid of all warmth and familiarity, "Minister, as my last act… I have to be seen doing _something!"_ he said, echoing the words the Minister had said to Hagrid during their second year as justification for the half-giant's arrest.

Harry didn't wait for a response, he held up his manacled hands in front of him, very deliberately letting everyone get a clear view of him. Then with a slight flex of his arms, he expected the manacles to break. They did, only rather than snapping, the manacles shattered into pieces, causing more than one auror to gasp.

Harry grinned and floated into the air with barely a thought, causing the gasps to increase.

He saw Dumbledore as well as several others pull out their wands and aim them his direction His eyes narrowed in anger, and as a final shot, he bolted forward faster than their eyes could follow.

Dumbledore stared at his now empty hand in shock.

"Ahem," Harry cleared his throat from behind everyone

They turned not having seen him move, to see Harry floating a dozen feet in the air. Harry held Dumbledore's wand in his hands with a grim smile on his face.

He snapped the wand effortlessly and blinked briefly in shock as he felt a surge of magic go up his arms and into him. However there didn't seem to be any other effect.

"No! You fool!" Dumbledore lurched forward in horror a cry of great loss in his voice as he felt himself lose command of the Elder Wand.

Harry smiled sweetly at Dumbledore and then took great delight in snapping it several more times before crushing all the pieces in his fist, before tossing the pieces in an upwards arc. "Just consider that payment for all the times I had to do your job for you by ensuring the safety of Hogwarts."

"Tata!" He said and shot upward into the sky, narrowly dodging several spells shot his way from aurors and Severus Snape.

' _Snape!_ ' he thought suddenly, realizing he had some parting words from his parents to give what he now knew to be the person responsible for their deaths.

"Oi, Snape," he taunted as he rose into the night. "I found out tonight you were the Death Eater who pointed Voldemort at my parents. You're nothing but a pathetic jealous wretch who could never get over the fact that my father was clearly the better man! So you got my parents killed because of your pettiness and tried to take it out on the child who never knew them. They're waiting for you on the other side and Mum will have some things to say to you after the way you treated her only son!"

His words carried over the group as he disappeared into the sky faster than any of them could track.

oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo

 _ **Daily Prophet**_

 _ **Ministry attempts to arrest Boy-Who-Lived after he defeated You-Know-Who again!**_

 _That's right dear readers. As scary as it is to believe, You-Know-Who was temporarily returned to a body last night, fully able and willing to restart his campaign of terror against Magical Britain and the rest of Western Europe. Using the Tri-Wizard tournament as part of a plot to return to a body, he kidnapped the two Hogwarts champions, with the help of a Death Eater thought dead, impersonating a Hogwarts Professor. More on that below!_

 _Unfortunately, one valiant Hogwarts Champion, Cedric Diggory was killed as part of the plot to bring the Dark Lord back to life. However, You-Know-Who obviously did not plan on one thing._

 _Harry Potter was there once more to stop him. And stop him he did! Harry Potter proved that the first time he defeated You-Know-Who when he was a baby wasn't a fluke!_

 _Yes, dear readers, as hard as it is to believe. This reporter braved the unknown and the dangers and witnessed it with her own eyes, You-Know-Who was beaten and held literally helpless at the hands of the Boy-Who-Lived._

 _This reporter can confirm that Harry Potter beat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named again, once more rendering him bodiless. Unfortunately… I witnessed that even killing the Dark Lord was not enough to stop him! The Dark Lord fled as a wraith, swearing vengeance in front of nearly forty Aurors, the Minister of Magic, and Headmaster Dumbledore to return again one day to terrorize the wizarding world and take his revenge upon Harry Potter._

 _What did our beloved Minister do then? Did he thank Harry Potter for his deed? Did he offer our clearly injured hero help or medical attention? No. Our Minister chose to try and have him arrested!_

 _That's right readers, the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, attempted to arrest the young man who has now beaten the worst Dark Lord in history twice. Perhaps that is because some of the Minister Fudge's trusted 'advisors' were at the scene of the crime. But they were not there to help. At least not to help the Ministry._

 _No, the advisors were lying on the ground, all clad in full Death Eater regalia after being summoned by the then living Dark Lord, and defeated by Harry Potter in his battle with You-Know-Who._

 _But that's not all, when the Minister attempted to arrest Harry Potter, with the support of Chief Warlock and Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, the Boy-Who-Lived refused to stand for the injustice. He said to everyone there including myself and the aurors, we all saw that You-Know-Who's shade said he would be back. But this time, Harry Potter vowed there would be no Boy-Who-Lived to save us and that there was a prophecy that said he was the only one who could; a prophecy that Albus Dumbledore has apparently known of for years and kept quiet about._

 _Then Harry Potter, The Boy-Who-Lived snapped the magic suppressing manacles in a display of magic that few could match, and in a similar display of magic only seen with the most powerful wizards, flew off into the night without the aid of a broom._

 _This reporter investigated and can confirm that there is a Prophecy in the Department of Mysteries for the Dark Lord and Harry Potter. I cannot know what the prophecy says but the fact that there is one lends credence to Mr. Potter's claims!_

 _This brings up so many questions that deserved to be answered. Why did the Minister attempt to arrest Harry Potter? Was the Minister a secret supporter of You-Know-Who? Did he know his advisors were supporters? Is he corrupt or just a fool?_

 _This reporter will not stop until she gets answers for you dear readers!_

 _Rita Skeeter_

oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo

 _ **Dead Death Eater Found Alive after Masquerading as Professor!**_

 _That's right dear readers, Bartemius Crouch Junior, was polyjuiced as retired auror and current Hogwarts Professor Alastor Moody. This was revealed after he cast the killing curse at Harry Potter. A killing curse the Boy-Who-Lived blocked using the Dark Lord's own resurrected body! But how is this possible? He was confirmed dead in Azkaban years ago! According to official auror report Investigations continue into the disappearance of his father Barty Crouch Senior and how he is alive._

 _However, this reporter has the inside scoop from anonymous inside sources based on veritaserum confession!_

 _Barty Crouch Senior promised his wife on her deathbed to free her son from Azkaban, which he did._ _How was this done, faithful readers?_ _By Polyjuicing his wife shortly before her death and exchanging her for his son._

 _But as astute writers will no doubt point out, his wife died more than a decade ago! That is true. However the Senior Crouch had kept his son under the Imperius Curse for those years. Hiding him in his house and obliviating anyone who discovered his secret!_

 _Barty Crouch Junior began to fight the effects of the imperius and eventually threw them off. After which he turned the tables and imperiused his father! Then he admitted to capturing Alastor Moody during events covered by this paper last August, and impersonating him for nearly an entire year in order to manipulate events of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. This reporter must confess to an apology in earlier articles claiming that Harry Potter was attention seeking. He did not enter the tournament nor did he cheat. Barty Crouch Junior entered the Boy-Who-Lived in the tournament against his will in a scheme to get the Dark Lord back his body!_

 _A scheme which succeeded, if only temporarily!_

 _This begs questions that must be answered. How did no one know this person was alive and free? How was he allowed to teach our children for an entire year? Certainly Alastor Moody's close friend Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts should have known something was off about his friend, why was nothing done?_

 _Who else might he have hurt or cursed while he ran free? Why did no one realize it was beyond the abilities of a fourth year student to enter the tournament? Most troublesome is the question of what else might this Death Eater have done around our children while he was unsupervised around them for an entire school year?_

 _I will continue to pursue those questions from those who should know them best._

 _Rita Skeeter_

oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo

 _ **Peter Pettigrew discovered alive! Revealed as True Betrayer of Potters!**_

 _ **Sirius Black Innocent!**_

 _That's right readers! Peter Pettigrew was discovered alive at the scene of Voldemort's rebirth! Many of our readers will remember Peter Pettigrew was thought to have died in the days following You-Know-Who's first defeat while trying to stop the villainous traitor, Sirius Black! He was even awarded the Order of Merlin posthumously for his heroic actions._

 _But this reporter has the truth for you! A truth so terrifying that many of you may faint from horror upon its revelation. A truth so shocking, that this reporter couldn't believe it herself when the secret was revealed to her._

 _Not only has Peter Pettigrew been alive all these years, but he bore the Dark Mark!_

 _Not satisfied with just this information, this reporter investigated deeper! Something was wrong with the story we all knew if Peter Pettigrew was really a Death Eater in hiding for a decade if Sirius Black tried to kill him a decade and a half ago._

 _It turns out that Peter Pettigrew, in addition to being a Death Eater, was the true Secret Keeper for the Potters! Yes, dear readers, Sirius Black never betrayed his best friends and was actually trying to hunt the betrayer down! After spending days on the trail, he confronted Pettigrew in that muggle street all those years ago, only to be set up by the slippery rat! Then, the truly horrifying thing took place._

 _Sirius Black, the supposed 'Right-Hand' of You-Know-Who was never questioned after his arrest!_

 _Sirius Black was never even charged with a crime in connection with the events we were told he was guilty of!_

 _Finally, the worst and most troubling part of this entire fiasco. A fact that, right now, is causing repercussions to echo across the highest echelons of our vaunted society:_

 _Sirius Black spent over a decade in Azkaban Prison without a trial!_

 _The Boy-Who-Lived even claimed to have told our beloved Minister this information a year ago and nothing was done! Why didn't our Minister investigate these claims? Why was the Head of a Noble and Ancient House allowed to rot in prison without so much as a trial? This reporter calls upon the Ministry to right this horrible miscarriage of justice and wants to know how something like this could happen!_

 _Rita Skeeter_

oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo

 _ **Harry Potter accuses Dumbledore of Abuse and Endangerment!**_

 _In a surprising accusation at Dumbledore in the events at the graveyard, Harry Potter said that "(Albus Dumbledore) could lie in the bed he made, like the closet (Harry Potter) was forced to sleep in for the first ten years of his life with the child abusers (Albus Dumbledore) left him with."_

 _Young Mr. Potter didn't stop there with his revelations and accusations. He accused Dumbledore of hiring teachers who attempted to kill him, claiming that three of the last four had done so! This reporter was witness to one such act! The famed auror Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, and well known friend of the Chief Warlock, cast the killing curse at Harry Potter in front of dozens of witnesses!_

 _A bit of further investigation reveals that one teacher conveniently "disappeared", one teacher is in Saint Mungos with no memory of who he is and one teacher was a werewolf! And, as I reported earlier, one teacher is a polyjuiced Death Eater._

" _I don't blame Harry for saying he felt unsafe. Even in public… during our first quidditch match someone cursed his broom and tried to throw him off but no one managed to find out who did it!" said Angelina Johnson, sixth year Gryffindor. "Or last year when Dementors came onto the quidditch pitch during a game and attacked us, all of them going straight for Harry."_

 _However, this reporter spoke to several students of Hogwarts who indicated that it wasn't just professors that caused problems in the school and Harry Potter may not have been the only one who was put at risk!_

" _During my second year, the headmaster announced at the opening feast not to go into a part of the school unless we wanted to die a most horrible death!" Heidi Macavoy, a fifth year Hufflepuff and Chaser added "We also had a troll get into the castle that year during Halloween!"_

" _During my third year we had people being petrified in the halls!" Roger Davies, a seventh year Ravenclaw added. "Our Head Girl Penelope, a member of this house was petrified after the message saying the Chamber of Secrets had been opened was painted on the wall!"_

" _This year that Death Eater… the one pretending to be Professor Moody, cast the_ imperius _on us in order to see if we could resist it, and when I told my head of house, I was told that it was okay, he was teaching us." A fourth year Slytherin who requested to remain anonymity when speaking out for fear of retribution against herself or her family._

 _That's right dear reader, a convicted death eater was allowed to cast an unforgivable on our children!_

" _I remember Harry being the only one who resisted in our entire class. Finding out it was a Death Eater? No wonder he thinks it isn't safe." The same student concluded._

" _Of course this is on top of the accusation that exonerated Death Eater Severus Snape routinely abuses his students, and condones his own students emulating this action. Further, Harry Potter accused Severus Snape of pointing You-Know-Who at his parents all those years ago."_

 _Long thought to be a favorite and supporter of Dumbledore, the Boy-Who-Lived seemed anything but in the aftermath of the graveyard's ghastly events. If what Mr. Potter and all of these other students say is true, what kind of school is Dumbledore running? Why is he allowing our children to be endangered like this? These questions are ones only Albus Dumbledore can answer, but no answers seem forthcoming!_

 _Stay tuned dear readers! This fearless Reporter will find those answers!_

 _Rita Skeeter_

oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo

Rita Skeeter sat sipping her tea in her new apartment. She hadn't had much chance to enjoy it the past few weeks. She had been running around trying to gather up sources everywhere. Well.. not so much running as sneaking and flying in her animagus form.

At the Tri-Wizard, she had a front row seat to seeing Cedric Diggory show up with the cup. Instantly celebrations began, but she knew something was wrong. She had seen enough to know a dead body when she saw one. She had slipped out of the crowd and quickly transformed,

Hitching a ride on the Minister's shoulder was the best decision she ever made. Of course it was instinct at that point, because that's how she got most of her scoops, and there was no protection in the wizarding world to guard against animagus forms, especially one like hers.

She had seen the events of the graveyard and had been tempted to paint Harry as a rising Dark Lord given the image he briefly presented. Rita knew she could have pulled it off. But his words had stopped her.

Not out of any compassion or anything of that nature. But she knew that a large portion of her readers believed whatever she said, some were uncomfortable with the attacks on children she had been reduced to in a quiet year, when the events at the World cup were too confusing to understand or get much mileage out of.

However, in that one night, in just a few minutes, Harry Potter had given her weeks of controversy she could write about. Tearing down a child hero worked for a little bit, but the chance to pull down an entire administration? A chance to exploit a chink in the armor of one of the most respected wizards in the world? Coverups by ministry personnel? An innocent person locked in prison? A guilty one given an award by the Ministry?

She could get mileage off that for _months,_ even longer! Merlin, these were the stories entire books were based on. And _she_ was the one who broke every story and then privately confirmed every lead!

Daily Prophet sales had gone through the roof and, because of her well-phrased contract, she had a percentage take that caused her a huge bump in income. Sure, to better help her claim the moral high ground, she had to print one line of apology, but that was easily lost in all of the other headlines dominating the papers and people's conversation.

She was only winning praise for her actions and not just in Britain, but internationally people were recognizing her work based on the congratulations she had received and the letters thanking her from other countries.

Rita lifted her cup in silent toast to Harry Potter for the opportunity he presented her, as she glanced at yet another front page center article.

 _ **The Hunt for Harry Potter!**_

 _Harry Potter, has now been missing for weeks from the Wizarding World! Though there have been sightings, none have been confirmed. The Boy-Who-Lived fled after now Former Minister Fudge attempted to have him arrested for fighting a Dark Lord and his minions!_

 _Owls have gone unanswered and pleas in this very paper have either been ignored or unread._

 _Newly sworn in Minister Rufus Scrimgeour had this to say. "One of this Ministry's, and this administration's, highest priorities is finding Harry Potter and returning him to the Wizarding World. We have assigned the majority of our Aurors in this search and have several concerned volunteers. This administration, in conjunction with the Wizengamot is taking steps to ensure that he returns."_

 _When pressed on what steps the new Minister was referring to, no answer was given. Instead, he simply concluded his statement that anyone with information to Mister Potter's whereabouts should contact Aurors immediately, and that a reward of 5,000 galleons for information leading to Mister Potter's return was being offered._

 _This reporter, and all here at the Daily Prophet hope to see the hero who has twice saved us from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named amongst us again soon._

 _Rita Skeeter_

The article was a setup, as anyone with half a mind could read between the lines to see the truth behind the Ministry's desire to return Harry Potter. The administration's intentions were nothing close to altruistic, but Rita wrote the article with the proper Ministry spin anyways. She was banking on the payoffs of future insidious revelations that would come when the truth of the Ministry's desire to have the boy back became known.

To her, it was clear skies for her writing. There was nothing but more scandals on the horizon for her to rake out of the muck, and she had Harry Potter once again to thank for what would ultimately be the set up for her to take down yet another Administration. She already had done two nights of 'investigative reporting', and the things she had heard would likely put Scrimgeour and half his cabinet in Azkaban.

There would no need to turn her attention anytime soon to flinging mud at Harry Potter. The boy was sanctified gold in the minds of the entirety of the Wizarding World. The thought of lampooning her golden goose never even occurred to her. She had realized that the articles she had written about events surrounding the boy, portraying him honestly, had earned her more in the last month than she would normally earn in five years.

Once again, Rita raised her cup to her mouth and drank deeply, enjoying the taste of victory, and, even if her mind only imagined it, the taste of more blood in the water for the Ministry of Magic.

oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo

Harry was sitting on a beach chair, shirtless from the waist up, with only a pair of board shorts and sunglasses on. He was laying out nearly prone and he had his head laid back and was letting the mid afternoon sun beat down on him. He was also reading an odd looking book.

Next to him was an even more eclectic pile of reading material, Runic Studies, Education Standards of Great Britain, Quidditch Monthly, as well as a dozen other books and magazines he hadn't even gone through, though he was fairly sure there was a Playwizard in there somewhere Sirius thought he should be studying like there would be a NEWT examination upon it.

It was a pile picked half by him, and half by the only human he currently maintained constant contact with. He found himself zipping through it at a pace far faster than he was ever capable of reading before. He had only become aware of that increased paced when he had brought two books outside the day before and had read through them in a matter of minutes. He had brought over 20 books out this morning, and had zipped through them all.

Though he had especially liked the books on different healing magic. Given all his trips to the infirmary he had been more than a little curious, which was why he read the first one. But he had found himself truly interested.

He was taking his time with the current book, but he had read it before and knew he would need more books soon.

There was a slight pop of apparition not far from him, Harry tensed briefly but when there was no followup he relaxed. Even if someone who hadn't been invited somehow managed to breach the extensive and powerful wards on the island. Dobby would have warned him if it were an unfriendly.

He turned his head to see a man in somewhat outdated clothing ambling up the beach his way. A smile broke on Harry's face.

"Hey Kiddo," The man said and with a flick of his wrist sliding his wand into his hand and then conjured a matching chair to Harry's and flopped down next to him.

"Whatcha got there?" the man asked gesturing at the odd book in Harry's hand.

"Hey Sirius," Harry chuckled. "It's something Dobby found in Potter Manor for me after he found out that it wasn't in a ruin like we were told."

At Sirius' still curious look, Harry smirked, "It's a book, you know… you open it, and it has words inside that form sentences and tell you things? Or if it's from Hagrid, attempts to maul your hand. I know this is a bit too highbrow for you, since you tend to prefer magazines, with colorful pictures and few words, but I would expect you to at least _recognize_ this..."

"Hardee har har." Sirius replied with sarcasm in his tone, though genuine humor was also present.

Harry smiled and then held it up, "It's one of my Grandmum's journals. She was brilliant."

After Harry had fled from Britain, without anything, quite literally without even clothes on his back… well not even that much really. It was more like just the 'pants on his legs'. Needless to say, he had been at somewhat of a loss. His entire life he had felt something wasn't right, deep inside. He had thought when Hagrid had uttered those fateful words to him, "Yer a wizard, Harry," that was what had been wrong. His entire life his 'relatives' had denied him part of who he was.

But always in the pit of his stomach and the back of his mind he knew that wasn't all. He could never put his finger on it but it still felt like a large part of his life wasn't as it should be. Now after four years, he knew what it was. He wasn't just a wizard. He was his parents' son. He was a Potter. He was whatever his biological grandfather had been.

He wasn't born to be controlled, passive, shy or afraid.

It had felt _so_ good to tell off Dumbledore and the Minister. When he had shattered the magic suppressing manacles, it was like he had thrown off the shackles of the wizarding world completely. No worries about what other people thought, refusing to be guided, manipulated or controlled. For the first time in his life, he felt _right._

Of course that didn't mean he was entirely certain about his future. He had no money, no possessions and no idea of where to go.

It had had taken him nearly an hour to stop and think about necessities like that. For the first half hour he was still seething and was just flying without direction. For the second half he had nearly forgotten his troubles entirely.

He was flying! He soared up among the clouds, higher than he had ever gone or dreamed going on his broomstick. It was a slice of heaven to feel the air through his hair and for it to move around him, for his body to shift at its slightest thought without fear of falling or the broomstick not being able to handle the demands he placed on it.

However, when Harry had finally stopped and tried to think, he had come to the conclusion that he needed help. His first thought had been his godfather but he hadn't known where the man was.

Second thought was rather startling and he had rather tentatively called for Dobby. Dobby had been exuberant when he had appear before Harry, only to be more than a little startled when he realized that they were literally up among the clouds. Of course when the diminutive being had realized that Harry Potter was flying without a broom he hadn't asked questions or even shown disbelief. He had just exclaimed that Harry Potter was a truly great and powerful wizard.

To say that Dobby had been a lifesaver over the next couple days was probably understating it.

In short order the elf had gathered all of Harry's possessions from Hogwarts. Of course Dobby later mentioned that he had also removed all the tracking charms from his items.

Dobby had only asked for one thing in return. Harry had been prepared to hire the elf, but the diminutive being had vehemently said he didn't want that. Dobby's price for doing it was imminently affordable, he had pleaded to become Harry's elf.

Despite knowing he would probably get an earful from Hermione, Harry had agreed. Which apparently was all it took for the little being to become his elf.

Dobby had then promptly dragged Harry to Sirius, who had been hidden in a cave in the forbidden forest. Harry had mentioned that he hadn't known that Sirius was that close, and Sirius had nearly erupted with accidental magic, saying that Dumbledore had promised months earlier to pass the message along so Harry could talk to him if he needed. Given Sirius' still emaciated and weakened state, the eruption of magic was telling as to just how upset the man was.

After Harry explained the nights events and revelations to Sirius, Harry had said that he planned to get the hell out of Britain. Sirius hadn't so much as hesitated or disagreed for a moment and they were out of the country that night. They went to the same island he had stayed on over the previous summer and into the fall.

Harry discovered it was simply called Black Island, a private Caribbean island owned by the Black family. Harry was surprised when Sirius didn't so much as hesitate to believe him, or disagree with his decision to get away. But he was grateful that there seemed to be at least someone in his life that trusted him.

Dobby and Sirius had been his only contacts with the outside world since he had disappeared nearly a month ago. He had only communicated sparingly with others. He sent out a few letters to friends, delivered by Dobby and not Hedwig. Harry was worried someone might capture his owl and he wasn't willing to risk her.

Hedwig had been miffed until Harry explained that he didn't want anyone to get it in their mind to use Hedwig in order to draw Harry out. That explanation and a few extra strips of bacon had been enough to get the owl to forgive him. Surprisingly she seemed to enjoy it on the island, floating around in the warm breeze

"Your grandmum was relatively brilliant… though I also don't think she focused on one or two areas so she never got a Mastery or anything," Sirius said as he stretched in his conjured chair.

"Right now? Her journal is talking about occlumency. She has all these notes about the stupid books that she disliked." Harry smiled a bit. Sirius had recommended looking into it after one of their first conversations when Harry mentioned nightmares.

Cedric's death and the deaths of the others he killed. Though they were evil and there was no doubt in his mind they deserved it, there was the guilt that he had been the one to do it. He had tried some of the books that Dobby picked up from the Potter Library and the Black Library.

However it had been his grandmum's journal that had been most helpful. It had given honest and direct advice rather than talking about organizing memories. It read a lot like muggle meditation Harry thought. Since he had stumbled on her notes in the journal, he had seen vast improvement. He wasn't an expert by any means yet, but he was improving by leaps and bounds.

"You're lookin' good, kiddo," Sirius said after a pause.

"It's amazing what three square meals a day and no verbal abuse from relatives, not to mention a lack of lethal traps set up by the Headmaster will do for someone," Harry replied with a grin.

It was true, whether that, or the impact of his 'alien' heritage emerging, he had hit a major growth spurt this summer and his body was showing the clear effects. Then Harry's expression fell and his eyes flicked downward. "Doesn't fix everything though."

Sirius eyes followed Harry's gaze to his bare chest. The skin of his chest had tanned, but that actually seemed to bring out the fact that his torso was criss crossed with faded white scars that seemed to be the result of the magical onslaught he had endured in the graveyard.

Sirius had brought several potions to try and heal them, but to no avail. Dobby practically had a break down when the ointment he brought hadn't seemed to work. Considering he was certain that some of the wounds should have been fatal, there were obviously worse outcomes than some noticeable scarring on his chest, back and neck. Of course that didn't stop Sirius from wanting to hunt down the two Death Eaters that had survived the graveyard and torture them slowly until they begged for mercy for what they had done to his godson.

Not like anyone would notice two _more_ upstanding citizens of magical Britain disappearing suddenly amongst the insanity going on back there.

"I could say the same about you," Harry spoke up, pulling his godfather's mind away from the angry thoughts his mind had drifted to. "Not longer going for the half-crazed escaped convict look is a good choice. That's _so_ very last-year according to some of the magazines I read."

Sirius chuckled, turning Harry's words around on him. "You'd be amazed what three square meals, no dementors and being a free man will do for someone."

Harry grinned widely at that pronouncement, "Good, it's about damn time."

He saw Sirius smile and nod though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked with a sigh. When Sirius didn't reply immediately, he continued. "You might as well tell me."

Sirius sighed "Despite Pettigrew's confession, and testimony, the new Minister has not rescinded the search for you. Though he's termed it that they want to find you to protect you' instead of 'Wanted for the Deaths of...'. There was even mention of a 5,000 galleon reward to whoever tipped them off so they could 'bring you in'. For 'questioning' of course."

Harry nodded looking entirely unsurprised. "As I told him, the Minister is a moron."

"Oh, no. This is, in fact, a new Minister, Rufus Scrimgeour." Sirius corrected, with a small sneer on his face before it was lost.

"Doesn't mean he's not a moron too," Harry responded with a roll of his eyes.

"Fair enough," Sirius allowed, "You're not far from the truth in what you think. He wants you back in hope of bolstering support with his administration. The public is none too happy with the Ministry as a whole right now."

"Oh? Did someone give them a new opinion?" Harry asked with more than a trace of bitterness to his tone. "I don't see Dumbledore saying anything to rock the boat. Who's speaking to the sheep now?"

"Well, Skeeter has basically made it open season on the politicians. Reporters taste blood in the water and they're going for it. She just seems to be the best at the muck-raking, and it doesn't hurt her that what she's printing is apparently the truth for once."

"But it's not just Scrimgeour who wants you back," Sirius shrugged uncomfortably, "He wants you to bolster his numbers. Several pure blood families are pushing because of the deaths of their family members, in many cases their Head of House."

"Well, their family members shouldn't have been Death Eaters," Harry said with an indifferent shrug of his shoulders.

He had time to process the deaths he had caused over the past few weeks of relaxing on this beach. Initially, he had felt a bit of guilt after reflecting upon what he had done, but then that all vanished when he saw Cedric's face in his mind. The empty eyes that stared up at him. A Wizard in the prime of his life, who likely would've been a successful quidditch star and politician, relegated to dying at the wand of someone he didn't even know because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In the end, Harry determined his actions were more of a public service akin to putting down a rabid animal than it was anything else, and repeated this opinions to Sirius when the man sought to offer his own clumsy brand of 'mind healing'. Harry assumed that the man's initial suggestion (and offer) to get him a hooker or two was pure jest.

It wasn't mentioned that the Occlumency helped tremendously when coming to these revelations.

"They had it coming to them the minute they responded to Voldemort's summons without hesitation," Harry said without an ounce of sympathy in his voice. "Funny thing, their pure blood looked just the same as any other blood when it was all over the place."

Sirius nodded solemnly, although the corner of his mouth twitched slightly at the mention of Malfoy. "Very true. I'm just sorry I didn't get to see it. Maybe I could've helped stop you getting a few of those injuries."

"Or you would have been too busy focused on Pettigrew or taunting Lucius or something and they'd have killed you," Harry murmured with a roll of his eyes. "I prefer living with the scars to you dying while trying to be stupidly heroic… or just stupid."

"Hey now… I wouldn't have done that." Sirius complained affecting an injured look, one that disappeared after he saw it wasn't working on his godson.

"History says otherwise," snorted Harry, not truly insulting his godfather, but getting more comfortable with the banter between the two of them over the past few weeks. He shook his head and changed the subject, "So the Ministry is getting read the riot act. What about Dumbledore?"

Sirius briefly narrowed his eyes at the mention of Dumbledore's name, before he grinned widely and boasted, "Oh, the Old Man is losing it big time."

Harry tilted his head curiously, waiting for the man-child to continue before he bounced himself out of the beach chair in his excitement. Granted, Sirius sprawled face down in the sand would make up for the delay in getting the information, but it would also lead the man complaining about sand where it shouldn't be, then he'd likely automatically change into his dog form and start licking himself.

He felt scarred from how many times he witnessed that occur already.

Sirius chuckled and looked entirely too smug, sitting back in the chair and looking out at the ocean around them, "Well, to start with, he's looking everywhere for you, sending out owls, and has all his friends search high and low."

Then, if possible, Sirius' grin grew even wider, "He had a conniption when he couldn't access your trust or family vault at Gringotts."

Harry outright laughed. On Sirius' urging he had sent Dobby with a missive to the Goblins declaring his desire not to have anyone touch his accounts or money until he had a full accounting.

He didn't want the Ministry trying to take it in some way in an effort to blackmail him into coming back.

The goblins had eagerly complied saying they'd been trying to contact him for years. He was somewhat relieved that one of the first things they told him was that the Ministry couldn't touch any of the vaults. No matter what they did. Otherwise some of the vaults of imprisoned Death Eaters would have been confiscated by the Ministry years ago.

"Oh yes, Dumbledore apparently inadvertently made a big production on the main floor of Gringotts in front of dozens of witches and wizards. The Goblins loudly denied him access after he was initially turned away because he tried to pull the 'he's your magical guardian' card or some hogwash." Sirius stated, his wide smile firmly in place.

"The Goblins took great relish in explaining to him about the consequences of his tacit approval in you entering an adult contract via the Goblet of Fire and all of the repercussions therein." Sirius laughed and looked at Harry, "Incidentally, and on a _totally_ unrelated note, the Goblins have apologized for a tragic breach of protocol in discussing your account publically, revealing that according to the Ministry's own laws, you are an adult that can't be legally touched by the Ministry of Magic, etc etc."

Harry threw his head back and laughed out loud. The genuine laughter was something that Sirius had noticed came much more frequently now than it did initially after the events in the graveyard.

"Oh, that's good!" he finally said after he calmed slightly.

"I figured you'd say that. I told them it was quite alright, and that their method adding fuel to the fiendfyre was brilliant," Sirius said with a chuckle.

Harry noticed his Godfather become slightly distracted, and waved his hands in front of his face. Sirius pouted for a brief moment, then continued. "While we're on the topic, before I forget, there was one other thing from the Goblins."

"Oh?" Harry asked curiously.

"Yeah," Sirius scratched his cheek, while staring out at the ocean, his tone definitely distracted again. "Did you send them a message with Dobby saying that you preferred they invested your money in the muggle world?"

"Yeah?" Harry half stated, half asked, "They asked me what I wanted them to do with my investments and I figured, given my past experiences, I'd prefer they invest in the muggle world. What about it?"

"Well, seems you caused a huge stir in the goblin bank when you did that," Sirius replied.

"How?" Harry asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, based on Treaty with the Ministry, the Ministry has no right to any gold or objects in Gringotts. In return the Goblins are only allowed to interact and invest in the wizarding world, unless specifically directed otherwise by the Head of an Ancient and Noble house." Sirius explained slowly. "Something that has only happened a few times in the past with one or two Head of House purebloods investing in specific companies. Usually done by someone a bit more soft hearted than the traditionalists."

Sirius glanced at Harry and saw his blank look, "Usually it means that they fronted a loan or supported a squib that was born in the family. Something that most families just tended to disown and leave at an orphanage… or worse."

"Okay… not sure what that has to do with me…" Harry's voice was half puzzled by the topic and half irritated by his godfather's distraction.

"Well, when you did that, you essentially gave them carte blanche to enter the muggle world financial markets with the majority of your money not earmarked as reserved. Something they have been waiting decades to do. Once I found out how much they've wanted for this, I went ahead and made the Black finances available to them in the same way." Sirius chuckled a little bit, "I gather it's caused quite the stir amongst the Goblins, though I haven't been back since to follow up."

Sirius, apparently had finally grown tired of the conversation, for the moment and pulled out his wand. He conjured what Harry could only loosely describe as a pirate's telescope, complete with Jolly-Roger skull and crossbones on the side. He gleefully put the instrument up to his eye and whistled.

"Damn this old dog's in love. Maybe I should swim out there as Padfoot and pretend to be lost." Sirius said.

Harry followed his godfather's roving eye and discovered why he was so distracted for the past few minutes. Occasionally, a muggle boat or two could be seen travelling between the other nearby islands in the chain their own island belonged to. For the most part, Harry had learned to ignore them and not truly register their appearances anymore.

Harry didn't need a telescope, his own visual acuity had grown exponentially, he just had to focus. This particular boat, which was certainly big enough to be classified as a yacht, had four women lounging nude on ship's bow while they sunbathed, and Padfoot's need to peep had overruled his need to provide information to his godson.

He resisted the urge the jam the telescope into Sirius' eye, figuring that the man had gone twelve years without any contact of the female sort, his insane yet hot cousin notwithstanding, and that it wasn't up to Harry to deny him now. Besides, it's not like they were under a time crunch, they had no place to be.

Harry was patient and eventually, Padfoot had gotten his need to quench his thirst for eye candy out of the way, and even Harry, with his enhanced vision could say that the women were incredibly attractive.

Sirius lowered the telescope and turned back to Harry. Harry couldn't tell whether the grin on his face was because of bathing beauties he had just basked in, or because of the next bit of news he was about to impart, "There's also the fact that Dumbledore can't use your friends to find you either, and it's been driving him nuts."

"Oh?" That was something that Harry hadn't heard before.

Sirius grin was huge at this point as he spoke, "Apparently Hermione has permanently left the country with her parents and sent a withdrawal notice to Professor Mcgonagall. To make sure it was all nice and legal for the government she included paperwork saying she was now enrolled at Beauxbatons."

"I think the old girl might have actually cried when she read that," Sirius added with a snort.

Harry however, felt his mouth curl in a very satisfied smile. He had been very worried about her being left behind in the current political atmosphere. He'd flat out begged Hermione in his letter to leave Britain so she didn't share Cedric's fate. He knew it wouldn't be safe, and he desperately didn't want her to be used against him somehow. Out of his two closest friends, she was by far the more vulnerable.

"And Ron?" Harry asked.

Sirius winced slightly, and looked down, "His parents are still big supporters of Dumbledore."

Harry winced while he simultaneously mentally braced himself. Ron was his best friend, but after his disappearing act for nearly a month Harry had felt they were on shaky ground. He had half expected this to be the next event which drove his sometimes flighty friend away from him.

"Therefore he's been grounded all summer after punching the Headmaster," Sirius added.

Harry looked up in shock, "He what?"

Sirius nodded with an almost sadistic smile, one that Harry easily remembered seeing on the faces of the Weasley Twins every time a prank was about to go off. "One of the twins let me see the memory. Dumbledore tried to convince Ron and his siblings it was for your own good that he find you immediately, and that Ron needed to help Dumbledore or you risked going Dark."

Before Harry could let any of his righteous indignation at that statement leave his mouth, Sirius continued, "Apparently that was enough for Ron to snap. Ron punched the old man, and then while Dumbledore was holding his busted lip, he grabbed Dumbledore's beard, pulled his face down into his knee, broke his nose."

As Harry began to laugh, Sirius waved his hands, ""No no, then there was to coup de gras."

Sirius had to take a moment to compose himself, even to get the rest out. "Then… then Ron pulled a leg back, held it for a moment, and kicked the old man square between the legs and started to tell him off for endangering not just you, but his entire family, including his sister."

Harry broke out in belly-shaking laughter as he heard that, while Sirius was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes.

It was a feeling of relief for Harry. He had sent Dobby with letters to both of his best friends. He had warned them of what happened at the task, had been honest about what he did and what Dumbledore and the Minister's response was.

His warning had been not to trust Dumbledore, and after a comment from Sirius he had also mentioned what might happen with Draco Malfoy now in control of his family and money. How dangerous it might have been.

Apparently they both had taken it seriously.

"Oh, that's not all." Sirius was practically bouncing in his seat at this point.

"Oh?" Harry asked cautiously, though the grin hadn't faded from his face.

"Oh yes, Hermione apparently contacted all the muggleborns she knew, as well as friends she had or helped with homework warning them as well as highlighting the dangers they had been put in and how often they were bullied because of their blood status while the faculty let the Slytherin's get away with it." Sirius smirked, "I understand that hers was not the only withdrawal sent to Hogwarts. On a totally unrelated note, it was announced that enrollment in Beauxbaton's has spiked higher than it has in recent memory."

"Which pretty much ties into Dumbledore's next big blunder," Sirius continued, "Because the students withdrawing are mostly muggleborn and halfbloods, Dumbledore just got the Wizengamot to pass a measure demanding those who had started Hogwarts complete their education there."

At Harry's uncomprehending look Sirius further explained. "Of course that caused backlash from parents everywhere, and now those who didn't resign and get out of the country before the law went into effect, are now demanding answers from the Ministry and from Dumbledore. They're all wondering why they're trying to force their children to go to Hogwarts."

Sirius shook his head, "Dumbledore is running around trying to plug leaks on his ship everywhere… after it's half sunk."

Harry laughed softly and shook his head, he honestly was amused by the amount of trouble he was causing Dumbledore even remotely.

Sirius let him laugh before his expression turned grim once more, he allowed the silence to hang for a minute before he spoke up, his voice cautious, "Incidentally, now if you don't show up on September first, you will be breaking the law, and they can increase their search for you. They can also detain you and force you to go."

Harry looked up and met his godfather's eye, he wasn't sure how to tell him this but knew he could only put off the argument for so long. "I'm not planning on going back there." Harry said, bracing himself as he prepared to argue with the older man.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Sirius heaved a huge sigh of relief, flopping back completely into his beach chair. "After everything that happened I'm not sure which would be worse, Scrimgeour using you as a Ministry poster boy, you being shipped right off to Azkaban or having to go to Hogwarts and be under Dumbledore's thumb with whatever he might come up with. And… wIth the Ministry in such chaos, I honestly don't know which would happen."

Harry also untensed, and a smile came to his face as he realized that he wasn't going to have to argue with Sirius over it. He had pretty much decided that first night he would take his parents urging and be done with that world.

"Now, enough about me and the fuckup that is the Wizarding world," Sirius said in a brighter tone looked at Harry, "How goes your... practicing?" He asked with a wide grin.

Harry laughed once more, an increasingly more familiar feeling. SIrius was nearly as excited at finding out about his abilities as Harry was. "Well, I can hold my breath for a really long time, I stopped counting after about half an hour or so. I can fly really high, like above the clouds high. But I haven't really been able to figure out more than that with my abilities."

Sirius looked like was ready to protest when Harry held up his hand cutting his godfather off. "There's only so much I can test on an island like this Padfoot. However I did find out something interesting about a week and a half ago, I've been playing with."

SIrius looked at him attentively. Harry wanted to think it was because of their topic of conversation, but he knew it was also possible that it was because the yacht had finally traveled far enough that the women were not unknowingly on display to the island they had no idea was there.

Harry looked next to Sirius and concentrated and then waved his hand. A moment later another lounge chair appeared there, nearly identical to the one Sirius was sitting in, though the coloring was off and it seemed a little bit lopsided.

Sirius jumped slightly and looked at Harry in confusion.

Harry shrugged, "My best guess is that when I snapped Dumbledore's wand, that I sort of absorbed some of it's magic so I don't need my wand to do magic now..."

"I don't know Harry… I've never seen a wand do that to anyone," Sirius said slowly as he stared at Harry dumbfounded for several long moments before he started to laugh again. "I think Dumbledore actually cried about that wand though. He spent an hour collecting the pieces. I know he took the pieces to Ollivander's and old Garrick told him that there was no magic in the pieces. Magically Inert was the exact word used. He likened it to cold iron."

Harry grinned and shrugged, "My heart just weeps for him."

Sirius barked a laugh and nodded before lapsing into silence.

Harry could tell that his Godfather was thinking and trying to broach a subject with him. Now that the two topics Harry had been concerned about had been discussed, his friends, and his plan not to go back to the wizarding world. He was less tense, thus let his godfather think and contented himself with watching the sun which had just began to set.

"What are you going to do now?" Sirius finally asked.

"Now? I'm going to lay here and watch the sunset. It's quite beautiful." Harry replied honestly, his eyes focused in the distance and a small content smile on his face.

After another bout of silence Sirius spoke again, his voice more tentative as he didn't know how to bring up the discussion. "You can't stay here forever you know?" he said quietly.

"Why not?" Harry asked, "Dobby brings me food, no one trying to kill me, beautiful sunrises or sunsets, or both if I want."

Sirius sighed a little bit. "I know, but besides for me and Dobby you don't talk to anyone."

"Yes, but no one tries to kill me or manipulate me for their own ends," Harry replied evenly. "Besides, I thought you didn't want me to go back there."

"Merlin no, Harry. I don't want you to go back _there_ ," Sirius replied instantly.

"Then what?" Harry asked

"Go out, see the world. I don't care, there are muggle travel brochures everywhere. Pick a place and just go. Get drunk. Get yourself into some trouble that isn't set up by the Old man. Live your life," said Sirius as he gestured emphatically at the air.

Harry smiled sadly as he regarded his Godfather. "You sound just like my parents."

Sirius mirrored his smile, Harry had told him about his experience completely, and he had openly weeped as Harry talked about his 'death' and meeting his parents in great detail. "Despite being friends with me, your parents were both very wise people Harry. You have to go somewhere."

Harry nodded slowly, looking out at the waves. This was hardly going to be an argument. Harry was honest enough with himself to know that he was already feeling a bit restless.

"I will, Padfoot." he said softly as the sun started to set on the horizon, Harry's eyes following it and watching as the reflection grew on the water, "I just want a bit of time first for me. Time I know was _my_ decision. Then when I leave, I'll know it was _my_ decision to leave. And then whatever I do after, it will be my decision to go there as well."

There was a pause before Harry quietly whispered, "Will you come with me?"

He honestly wanted the company, but had an ulterior motive since he also didn't want his last familial link back in Britain during a time of such upheaval, or be able to be used to get to him.

Sirius was quiet for a bit before he replied, a slight reassuring smile on his face devoid of his usual sarcasm, "Sure, anywhere you want, kiddo."

Harry felt some of the tension leave his body as he relaxed into his chair.

"When?" Sirius asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Soon," Harry replied. "Not too long."

Sirius just nodded and the two men watched the brilliance of the sun set on the horizon as several minutes passed.

"You're only watching the sunset because you're hoping that yacht will float back around, aren't you?" Harry finally asked, with a smirk on his face.

Sirius grunted noncommittally not deigning to answer such an insinuation.

After a few moments, Harry did reluctantly add, "The third one was pretty hot. I'll grant you that."

His godfather's only response was another deep laugh.

"Thanks, Sirius," Harry said quietly after several minutes had passed and the sun was just a sliver in the crimson sky.

"Anytime kiddo," Sirius replied quietly.

oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Wooohoo! Another story!**

 **1) So we have this story! What's it going to be? Well, it's going to be a crossover. Crossover with what? At its heart it will be a HP/DC Comics crossover, with one element added. Chances are pretty good that this will be a Multi. Depends on the characters really.**

 **2) I have seen a bunch of good stories out there that in part inspired this one. Inspirations include fics like Terminal Justice by "** **Overkill A.K.A Irrational Intelligence"** **, some of the works of megamatt09, and finally** _ **A Spark of Genius**_ **by michaelsuave and 'Death's Little Brother", by mjimeyg which in mind are still by far the best DC crossovers that anyone has ever written. This is my attempt.**

 **3) What DC universe am I using? NOT THE NEW 52. *GAGS* This will be mostly comics pre-new 52 related but invoke probably elements of the cartoon tv show and Harry's presence will quickly make an impact on things. Of course I'm not a DC comics expert. So we'll see.**

 **4) Plums Ponderings: I'll freely admit i know jack squat personally about the DC universe beyond the most basic of plots / scenarios. So, ultimately, the source of all plot here is Kat. All i do know is that I'm rather tired of the Kara / Powergirl / HP pairing where they immediately fall into bed with one another that pervades every story with certain authors, so you won't be seeing that here.**

 **My job is to just clean up grammar, zero in on plot holes that, I as a newbie, can recognize, and try and make sure Harry gets to ultimately see more boobs than Sirius in this fic.**

 **They're tied 8 to 8 currently. Well, maybe Harry's in the lead. Does Lucius Malfoy count as a boob?**

 **Kat: He always undersells himself. He helps with characters and makes people more real. I don't promise any pairings. Those are all still up in the air. But yes, this is why I asked for a DC comics expert since I am not one. If you are one with time on your hands and willingness to bat around non-nu52 stuff. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me!**

oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo

 **Alternative Chapter Titles:**

" **Pop goes the Ferret!" - Harry**

"Wait till my father hears about this!"- Draco

"I was talking about your father. But sure, feel free to tell him." - Harry.

" **The Downfall of Dumbledore." The Wizarding World**

"You know. Yoda and Kenobi did the exact same thing to Luke Skywalker that I did to Harry, putting him with his aunt and uncle, keeping him ignorant of his heritage and important facts... and they don't catch this much shit from fanfic writers." - Dumbledore.

"Uh. No. Luke's aunt and uncle weren't emotionally abusive nor did they force him to live in a cupboard. Nor did we continually send him back there." - Kenobi

"Hey, you and I both even died helping redeem someone from their horrible life choices." - Dumbledore.

"Your reclamation project was an abusive petty childish little man who did almost nothing redeeming in his life." -Kenobi indignantly

"Yours was a whiny little brat who condoned the blowing up of a planet!" - Dumbledore irately

"Kenobi… what are you even doing here? You're not in this story! Get back to your story RIGHT now! Or I'm pulling out the hose." - Kat

"How uncivilized." - Kenobi

" **Damnit Potter! I just got that body!" - Voldemort**

"Yeah, that's pretty much the fourth time I've kicked your ass out of a body. Maybe you should get the point?" - Harry

" **Not my fault! Not my fault!" - Barty Crouch Junior**

" **Sirius, the boat isn't coming back. You can go to bed now." - Harry Potter**

"Damnit." - SIrius

" **Is a bird! Is a plane! Is Master Harry Potter!" - Dobby**

" **What? It's not like he's using them!" - Ron Weasley**

"Yeah, his wand-" Fred Weasley

"-was already broken." - George Weasley

"So what's he- " Fred Weasley

"-need the bits for?" George Weasley


	2. Trouble Magnet

**_Chapter 2_**

 **oOoOooOOooOoOo**

"God damn it Sirius." Harry muttered with a somewhat irritated sigh.

The two of them had jumped into vacation without really any solid plans, especially as his godfather had his newfound freedom and access to 'more money than God'. Personally, Harry thought Sirius said that with a sense of disappointment that he wouldn't be able to get in a bidding war for anything with a divine being. Merely for kicks of course. Practically it meant that the man-child that was Sirius literally had no leash to rein him in other than Harry.

Sirius had successfully argued that planning took the fun out of it. That they just needed to pick large cities and there was sure to be plenty to do. So that's what they had done. They had chosen America first.

Sirius had money to burn, and requested the Goblins set them up with a residence in every potential country they'd visit if the Blacks didn't already own a home there The Goblins easily agreed, simply requiring notice to prepare the residences with wards prior to each visit. Though in some cities it was just easier to get suites in hotel rooms. Like this one.

Thus they had found themselves in Metropolis, one of the largest cities in America.

it was evening, and Harry was sitting at on the roof of one of the tallest buildings in the city, sitting on the edge overlooking a 79 floor drop to the street below. His hair was blowing in the cool night breeze. He was wearing black jeans and a plain dark blue tee-shirt. He also had on a knee length overcoat.

Not that he really needed the coat, The cool evening air didn't bother him in the slightest.

But Sirius had picked it out and practically forced him into it. When Sirius had commented after he put it on that Harry looked so much like a vivid memory Sirius had of his father. Harry had demanded more information

Apparently his father had worn something similar during an excursion into muggle London in which he, Sirius, and Remus had enjoyed a weekend of trouble and debauchery. Peter apparently hadn't been with them. The snippets his godfather could remember of that weekend (Apparently a lot of alcohol had been imbibed) seemed to make him think there may have been a succubus involved at one point.

Apparently had happened right before school had started their 7th year, and the week afterward, James had gotten together with his mother.

Needless to say, Harry had gotten the coat. While Sirius had insisted on getting one for Harry and one for himself, along with every enchant he could stuff into it.

Harry was pretty sure that the goblin was a reader of the Quibbler, and just making up enchants at the end to see how long he could get Sirius to agree to raise the price he was willing to pay.

At least he assumed so when his godfather finally seemed to catch on and drew the line at an anti-snorkack mauling charm.

The coat was just one of a number of things bought in the spending spree his godfather had dragged him on the instant they'd stepped foot off the island in America. His father had acted like Dudley at Christmas at several different stores. Though these were all muggle stores, they were all happy to help the very generous man with the black spending card, supplied by suspiciously happy to help goblins. They were doubly helpful when they realized he was buying entire wardrobes and was more than willing to allow him and his godson to be directed by the more stylistically knowledgeable retail associates.

His godfather seemed to be trying to make up for a lifetime of missed birthdays, Christmases and the Dursleys in one fell swoop. He also seemed to be enjoying himself, and Harry admitted he was too. He was a bit uncomfortable being treated as a dress up doll at times, but soon got into the spirit of things.

Though Harry had some suspicion that the length of their shopping trip had been extended because Sirius had gotten several retail assistants to give him their numbers during their whirlwind shopping extravaganza. Harry was pretty sure that wasn't all because of his godfather's sparkling wit, or his looks and that the amount of money he spent may have had _something_ to do with it.

His godfather had also been slapped at least twice. So… there was entertainment value too.

And given some of his outrageous statements that only got him smiles or numbers, Harry could only wonder what his godfather had said. He had been distracted though so he missed it both times.

He wasn't really upset with his godfather. But the man was sort of responsible for his current predicament.

In Metropolis, Sirius had decided on the spur of the moment to get them a penthouse suite in one of the most expensive hotels in the city, requiring months of reservations… or telling the goblins and letting them handle it.

Harry had to admit that the suite was nice and all. Okay, nice was an understatement, it was spacious and ridiculously richly furnished, and the two of them had their own rooms in the suite, though they were adjoining.

Therein lay the problem.

They had gone to a muggle baseball game, after Sirius had found the event while looking for vacation ideas. He had apparently seen an advertisement for it on the telly for the ball game, and immediately was obsessed with seeing one of the various muggle American versions of Quidditch.

Both men were somewhat disappointed to learn that there were penalties for hitting the other team with the ball, and using the bat to hit the ball like a bludger didn't result in a single injury. The two had a great time for the most part, even if Harry wasn't certain of the rules or which side he was supposed to root for.

But during the course of the game Sirius had somehow… befriended two women at the game.

Harry figured it probably had something to do with the careless way Sirius was with his money, buying expensive memorabilia and such on a whim mostly because it was shiny. At least that was the only method to his madness that Harry could determine.

The man after all had spent twelve years in quite possibly the worst prison on Earth, and just now was close to a full and clean bill of health.

Harry really didn't begrudge him the attention of the women. He just wished he'd had the confidence to approach a few of the cuter girls he had seen himself. Even he wasn't dense enough to realize that there had been quite a few that had shown him some interest.

It was amazing how much their past twelve years paralleled one another

In some ways, Sirius' behavior annoyed him, but in others… well… He hoped he had the confidence to take home two girls simultaneously at some point in the future. He still had bouts of shyness, and had flashbacks of the disaster that was Yule Ball in his mind. A debt was certainly owed to both of the Patil Twins over how badly both he and Ron had treated them.

A debt that, more than likely, he would now never get the opportunity to repay.

Sirius had brought both women back to the hotel, and despite having completely separate rooms including bathrooms. They were still next door to one another, and Harry could clearly hear… everything. He hadn't learned the area silencing charm yet, and didn't want to accidentally silence everyone in the room. So he had slipped out and made himself scarce.

Which is how Harry found himself sitting with his legs dangling over the ledge of their seventy plus story hotel and looking down on a majority of the city.

He was still amazed at the view. He could see for miles, and in the darkness of night so many lights of the city were outlined. At the moment he was also using the chance to focus his senses.

Something his parents hadn't mentioned but that was in his grandmother's written notes about his biological grandfather. The fact that his grandmother wrote the journal for his father and not for him, was also interesting because it expressed certain opinions as well as little notes of humor and love intended for his dad and now passed on to him.

Apparently the man she had slept with, had really liked the extra strong silencing charms because it allowed them to have their... 'time' together in relative peace without him hearing everything from the outside world.

Which caused part of the problem with Sirius. He could hear everything vividly. It wasn't overwhelming… in volume, just very graphic.

So Harry was trying one of the exercises he had managed to develop. Trying to pick a sound on the very edge of his senses and focus on it. He was trying to concentrate on one such sound far away, to the exclusion of everything else.

He was focused on the distant sound of a movie playing in a cinema, that he realized was over a mile away, playing an old musical he vaguely remembered hearing before. The sudden BOOM of an explosion arrived without warning and overwhelmed his sense of hearing.

Harry winced and covered his ears belated before he shook his head, looking around wildly for the source of the explosion. However all around him seemed calm.

He took his hands off his ears and listened cautiously. It only took him a moment to realize that nothing was happening in his immediate vicinity, but he could still hear the sound of smaller explosions but they were a good distance away.

Harry glanced uncertainly toward the direction of the rooms he and his godfather had. He wasn't sure his godfather really wanted him off exploring the city on his own. Then again, his godfather was currently otherwise occupied.

Another booming sound, almost as loud to his senses as the first one he had heard, allowed his curiosity to decide the matter for him. With ease he lifted in the air, taking flight without even shifting from his sitting stance for a few moments. Several months and he had still not lost the sense of exhilaration he got simply by being in the air.

When Sirius had asked how he did it, he could only tell his godfather 'simply push yourself into the air'. Much like someone describing walking might say put one foot in front of the other and move forward.

He shifted position and flew toward the direction the sound had come. It was easy to follow as the booming sounds continued in irregular intervals.

Of course Harry's excitement had begun to dim as he got closer. He began to hear the telltale sound of screams of fear. He also began to hear what even his inexperienced mind could tell were gunshots. At least they sounded similar to the movie Sirius and he had seen a few weeks earlier.

Despite his better judgment, he pressed forward in the air moving a bit faster. He came around the corner of a large building and stopped in surprise and hovered in the air. Two blocks ahead of him and below him by a few dozen stories seemed to be some sort of warzone.

The warzone even seemed familiar, not so much for the location but for the colors on display. Briefly Harry reflected that it was very similar to the wizarding world after the World Cup. There were lots of primary colors and flashes of other colors in the air.

Harry stared as he struggled to take stock of the situation by observation and listening to what was being said. Below him he watched people scrambling to get away from the center of the chaos. It was easy to tell where since an entire section of building that seemed to have been blasted outward.

It seemed like there were nearly a dozen different people engaging in the impromptu brawl. In the center of the destruction was a giant man that was completely pale and milky white. He was as big, if not bigger, as Hagrid and wider across the shoulders.

Of course the monster might just have seemed bigger because he was bellowing in rage and had a car that he currently had lifted over his head that he was swinging wildly.

A blonde girl that looked to be about his age or perhaps a bit older, clad all in red, was pushing herself up from a pile of rubble at the monster's feet. In her hands Harry noted that she looked like she was holding a glowing rope.

On the other side of the street from those two were several other figures

One, in dark orange and blue, was a large well built man, though that was all Harry could tell, his costume included a full face covering mask. He could see the man had a sword in one hand and a large gun in the other, while looking like he had others prepared to come in to battle on his back.

That man currently seemed to be engaged in a battle with three others. Too add to the chaos, one of those figures looked like a smaller female version of himself. With the gun in his hand he seemed to be firing at a figure Harry could only tell was slim and wearing a yellow cape, with a red outfit beneath, and currently firing back at him with a bow and arrow.

The man was firing at the yellow caped figure who he determined was a girl while at the same time using the sword and parrying blows coming in from a staff wielded by another caped figure, this one seemed to be in black red and green, though he only had a mask over his eyes leaving the rest of his face free.

In between parries of the staff he had also the time to kick the smaller female version of him in the stomach. She went flying back several yards, only to land and immediately jump forward again, her own swords swinging to catch the downstroke of a swipe that might have cleaved the girl in red in half.

Harry had no idea what to make of the giant green squid that seemed to be wrestling with a woman who seemed to be stretching her body in all different ways.

Harry's attention was drawn away from the people in primary colors fighting one another by dual screams of terror. His gazed focused on two children were trapped in some of the rubble from the building road next to the building. They were standing next to another woman in dark colored robes. Harry could only barely make out that she was a female as she was on her knees and seemed to be holding a hand to her head as if recovering from a blow, while standing in front of the children.

His eyes widened as the white monster thing carelessly tossed the car he had been swinging in the air aside and incidentally right towards the children.

Harry hesitated just a moment, and that hesitation might have cost the children and the dazed woman their lives, but the blonde in red had flung herself from the ground pushing the children and the other woman down beneath her as she took the falling car on her back. The car shattered into pieces and caused her to fall to her knees and groan in pain though she still kept her body above the two children and now even more dazed adult.

The white monster marched with a snarl and a determined pace, right towards the group of four, his footsteps leaving tracks in the pavement of the road.

"Cassie! Raven!" Harry heard the teen in red green and black with the R on his left breast call out, but he couldn't get to the white being to cause a distraction. He had tried but he was forced to deviate from his course as he twisted his body and barely managed to keep from being impaled by the sword wielding man.

The large being was looming over the staggered blonde and incapacitated girl in blue, along with the two children, and he raised his fist to smash down on them.

Harry couldn't stand by and watch something like that happen, his saving people thing rearing its head with a vengeance and he found himself barreling into the white monster as fast as he could fly, not even registering the boom as he broke the sound barrier in less than a second.

The aforementioned Cassie shook her head out of the brief daze, and looked over her shoulder and up to see the giant white monster fist raised in the air already on the downswing. She braced herself for the impact, hoping she could handle it without falling, otherwise Raven and the two children she was shielding were dead.

However, just before the blow could fall, there was a booming sound almost simultaneously as a black blur slammed into the white monster and they both soared down the street.

Cassie's head whipped around to follow the trajectory of the monster down the street until it slammed into another wall.

"Connor?" she breathed to the empty air not expecting a response.

Harry's intention was to get the white monster away from the girl and the kids. Much like his nature he hadn't really planned farther than that, which explained why a few seconds later he and the white monster smashed bodily into the side of another building wall.

"Whoa… that.. was different," Harry muttered as he pushed himself up in the rubble and shook his head, slightly rattled from the impact as he'd never done that sort of thing before nor had he braced himself in the slightest. He looked around to get his bearings, to find the monster.

He was completely unprepared for the huge fist that smashed back through and impacted his face (along with most of his chest given its size). It sent Harry flying back down the way they had come. Harry found himself bouncing down the street much like a rock skipping across water, and he ended up nearly all the way back where he had first impacted the white monster, back near the center of the battle.

His trajectory was halted as he smashed into a car, leaving a Harry shaped crater where the engine block used to be.

Harry pushed himself out of the remains of what had probably been a very nice car. Pieces of jagged metal fell to the ground as he brushed them off and looked down the street with narrowed eyes.

"That did not go the way I expected…" He had never been hit that hard before and certainly not since the night of the graveyard. He couldn't deny not only that he had felt it and but that it didn't exactly feel pleasant. On the flipside, he'd felt worse.

"You're not Connor…"

He glanced to the side to see the blonde in the redtop now floating in the air a few feet off the ground and staring at him in confusion. He idly noted that she was very attractive even given the dark spot from soot or rubble grazing her cheek.

Harry also noted that the two children that had been around were nowhere to be seen, which he took as a positive sign.

"Sorry to disappoint," Harry replied wryly to the girl's comment.

Any further comment was cut off as a loud cry drew his attention.

"Grundy will destroy you!" the monster yelled as it charged down the street toward Harry again. The pavement was shaking underneath each stride the monster as it gained steam.

"Like I haven't heard that before," Harry snorted in response. But his eyes had narrowed and he could feel a part of him practically growl. A primal piece of him that he had never really felt before was screaming to respond to the blatant and outright challenge

Harry didn't hesitate or bother shouting in response, instead he flew toward the white monster again, this time leading with his fists and smashing into the self-identified Grundy.

Rather than hitting him like a battering ram and sending them both flying down the street again, Harry instead had smashed into the giant and then punched upward, rocking the giant backward a step… only to receive another punch in the chest in return.

This time he was prepared for it and his body took the blow and with only the barest bit of concentration his ability to fly held him in place so he didn't go careening backward like he had the first time.

Harry returned the punch with one of his own, a part of him that he was still struggling to understand was equally reveling in the challenge and the ability to cut loose, and frustrated at not putting the behemoth down with his strikes, as the two began to exchange blows. 0

A part of Harry he had never felt before seemed to take over as his focused narrowed so that the world was just him and the white behemoth whose name he assumed was Grundy. It was almost a physical effort of will to think beyond the next punch and it wasn't until they had exchanged at least two dozen blows that Harry realized he was going about it all wrong

He wasn't sure what allowed him the brief moment of clarity but it brought him out of the red haze he had been and back to at least thinking somewhat rationally. He dodged the next blow that Grundy attempted to land and found it breezed by him before he struck back.

That blow stumbled Grundy, though he recovered. Harry wasn't a trained fighter but he had spent most of his life learning to dodge playing "Harry Hunting" and he had excellent reflexes. Reflexes that had gone beyond superhuman that night in the graveyard.

So Harry began to dodge the blows darting side to side his quickness far outstripping Grundy's Harry lost track of any of the other things happening, noticed his blows began to stagger the beast more and more. His movements got more sluggish though his wordless bellowing continued and Harry thought he was getting close to the knockout blow.

However when his vision had narrowed, he had lost track of the rest of the battle and he had just hit Grundy with an uppercut under the chin that staggered the monster back several steps when he was suddenly distracted by a flash of green light. It definitely got his attention, given his history with green lights flashing towards him, he turned toward the source only to take a blast right in his chest.

His shirt, which didn't have the same protections his coat did, did not appreciate the heat and the blast burnt a hole through it and actually burnt into his chest, causing him to cry out in surprise as much as pain.

Harry had only time enough for his gaze to find a machine like being aiming it's arm at him, an arm that seemed to be in the form of a canon. The robot didn't have time for a follow-up shot as it was suddenly smashed into by the blonde girl who had called him Connor.

Unfortunately for Harry, his brief distraction was enough for Grundy to take advantage of.

Harry found his leg grabbed from mid-air and he suddenly found himself yanked through the air and swung like a bat in the game he and Sirius had been to earlier that week. Only he was smashed vertically into the pavement below rather than horizontally like he had seen.

He felt the pavement of the street dent underneath him as he slammed into it face first. He tried to push himself up only to receive a crushing blow land on his back between his shoulder blades. smashing him into the ground again.

He tried to push himself up, only for another blow to land and another and another. Grundy hammered his huge fists down onto Harry from above with a speed that belied his huge bulk. Harry kept trying to push himself up, but the smashing blows continued without respite, pounding him deeper and deeper into the street.

BAM. BAM. BAM.

"Grundy crush you!" The creature bellowed, each word punctuated by a slamming of the giant fists into his back as it continued to smash him downward.

Harry grunted as he felt the blows start to really _hurt._ He heard a crack and was fairly certain he had just broken a rib or three. He saw blood spurt from his mouth as his head was smashed into the pavement by another blow that caught more of his head than it did his back.

Black spots began to fill his vision.

"Grundy destroy weakling!" The creature bellowed again as it increased the pace of the fists as they smashed down on him.

Something in Grundy's comment touched something inside of Harry.

He was _not_ weak. He had spent too long being weak. His relatives, schoolmates, the graveyard. He had proven he wasn't weak. He had vowed never to be that way again.

This time it wasn't a grunt that escaped Harry's mouth between blows but a growl. Not that the beast managed to hear or took notice. This thing had just made a big mistake. It had pissed Harry Potter off.

When the next blow landed, Harry was pushing himself up from the crater the beating had created. The next blow forced him back down but he was immediately pushing back up as the a fist rose off him.

The next blow hit his back as he was on his hands and knees. They bent but refused to give this time.

The next blow hit his back as he had one foot underneath him.

The next blow was stopped in its tracks as Harry spun in one movement and caught it in his hand, stopping its momentum with nothing more than a slight crunch of the pavement beneath him.

In the back of his mind, in the very small part that was capable of such observations, Harry idly noted that the creature was massive. He hadn't really realized it before but as his hand held the giant fist in front of him, he realized that the size of one of his hands couldn't even wrap entirely around a single finger of Grundy's mammoth fists. It made no difference.

Grundy tried to pull his hand back but found himself unable to.

Harry lifted his bowed head, bruising already formed, with blood coming from his nose, and mouth and a blood vessel that had clearly burst in his eye, filing the sclera. It left the entire white part of his eye red with blood. Despite the damage, Harry's emerald eyes were glowing in response to the emotion filling him at the moment.

But that was nothing compared to the look of rage on his face. Even Grundy, not one known for being the most perceptive hesitated as it stared down at the little being it had been previously trying to grind into paste on the ground. That hesitation cost him.

Harry snarled in rage as he stared upward at the thing that had called him a weakling, and his magic finally reacted violently. It burst out of the hand holding Grundy's and between one moment and the next Grundy's arm was suddenly on fire.

A flame that caused the Monster who was nearly immune to feeling pain, to bellow out in agony.

The flame spread over Grundy's body engulfing him. Frantically Grundy tried to pull it's fist away from the small being that had suddenly hurt it. But Harry refused to let go, instead his grip tightened.

Without really thinking about it, Harry, still gripping the fist in his hand, blasted straight upwards into the air as fast as he was capable of, dragging the hand he had imprisoned in his own, and thus Grundy came along with it.

He flew up a few stories and then in a move similar to moves he'd seen chasers do in Quidditch games in order to add momentum to their throws, he spun his body around in a three sixty axis and then released Grundy who was still bellowing in agony from the flames burning over his body.

Grundy shot into the air as if fired out of a canon. There was even the accompanying boom as the burning monstrosity broke the sound barrier.

Harry watched at the burning object flew upward in a not quite vertical trajectory. He was still watching it as his gaze started to fill with black once more. He struggled to fight it off, but a few seconds later he lost the battle, and black filled his vision. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out.

Completely unaware of his surroundings, he fell a dozen stories to the street below, completely unconscious.

oOoOooOOooOoOo

"-is biology is incredibly dense, even for our scanners." Harry heard a deep baritone voice speaking as he slowly swam back to consciousness.

"Not something exactly unusual around here," replied a female voice, that Harry thought might have sounded vaguely familiar.

As more of his sense came back to him, he tensed, realizing he had no idea where he was or what was going on or where he was. The graveyard had convinced him that feigning unconsciousness until he was more aware of his surroundings was the best bet. Even with his eyes closed he did know there were bright lights above him, and all around him which all seemed to be shining down on him.

"That's true, density isn't usually a problem, but there's some kind of energy interfering with the scan. It makes truly detailed results unreliable at best." The deep voice replied to the female's unspoken question, "Between that and the blood sample, I'm unable to get anything conclusive, but based on what you've said and durability of the skin we're using standard kryptonian injury protocols."

Harry's eyes flickered open and he looked around without moving. A glance down told him that he was laying in a bed shirtless from the waist up. However he wasn't restrained in any way.

The white crisscross of scars on his skin clearly visible, and practically highlighted with the lights shining him, of course they were obscured slightly from the black and blue of bruises all over his torso, and the presence of a large circular burn mark on his chest. The burn confused him for a moment until he vaguely remembered taking a blast of green in his chest.

A glance around the room showed that there were a multitude of machines around his bed and bright yellow lamps shining down on him. About a foot and a half over his waist was a camera-like device that strobed a line of red light up and down his body, beeping every now and then as a nearby display shifted in response.

Given that the two voices had gone quiet, and that he didn't seem to be overtly threatened at the moment, Harry decided laying there wasn't doing him any good, especially as he didn't know where 'there' was. So he started to push himself up into a sitting position, and then groaned as his body protested to the quick movement.

"He's awake!" that same female voice said in a startled tone.

"It appears you are correct," The deep voice agreed.

As if she had apparated there, there was suddenly an attractive blonde teenager at the foot of his bed. As he recalled the fight, he clearly recalled the blonde, her red outfit just lead credence to his perspective. As it was now calmer he was better able to take stock.

His first impression had vastly underestimated the attractiveness of the teen. He estimated her a year, maybe two, older than him. She held herself with a confidence and a surety that said she was well aware of her capabilities and did not doubt them in the slightest.

"Don't move, you've been hurt and we're trying to figure out how much damage was done and if you have any internal injuries beyond some cracked bones," the blonde said with concern in her voice.

Harry put a hand to his forehead, ignoring the way his body protested at the movement. It was as much to massage away a headache as it was to block out some of the lights shining in his eyes.

"Where am I? Who are you?" Harry's voice was surprisingly gravelly to his own ears and he idly wondered if the fight had hurt his throat in some way.

"You're safe." The blonde hesitated a moment glancing at something out of his view range at the moment, and then smiled at him, "And I could ask you the same thing, but I'm Wonder Girl.

Harry tilted his head and squinted slightly to examine the girl closer which was slightly challenging with the lights shining on his face "Your parents must have had high expectations."

This sudden segue caused Wonder Girl to scrunch her brow in confusion. "My parents? What do you mean?"

"Well… I mean, someone naming their kid 'Wonder Girl' obviously have high expectations," Harry frowned as another thought occurred to him, "Or they are just really bad at coming up with names."

Belatedly he realized how insulting what he had just said was, something he chalked up to his headache, though it was receding slowly, so he tacked on, "Erm. Sorry, no offense intended. If it makes you feel better, the place I just came from was also really bad at naming things."

Wonder Girl blinked as she realized what he had said, "Um, No, that's not the name either of my parents gave me. It's my codename."

At Harry's continued puzzled look she sighed slightly. "I'm sure you know my... cousin?" She asked gesturing to her chest, or more exactly the Eagle at the center of her red shirt, sitting on two horizontal lines.

Wonder Woman wasn't really her cousin but it was the easiest way to generally identify one another and how it was generally presented to the public.

Harry did look down at the symbol and examined it closely. By no means did he focus more of his time upon her chest itself than the eagle and twin markings. No sir. Definitely not at her chest. He was only looking down due to the blatant invitation and because the lights were just annoying him.

Then Harry narrowed his eyes as what she said filtered through his mind, he really only knew two blondes off the top of his head. And since she hadn't sneered at him… and was probably one of the more attractive people he had ever met... he took a guess.

"Um, are you related to Fleur Delacour?" He ventured hesitantly, instantly getting wary. If he was in the hands of wizards who were friendly with Britain or worse yet, with Dumbledore, he was going to be gone before they could turn around twice. However, given the fact that even he could tell he was surrounded by machines he doubted it was wizards who had him.

That caused confusion to Wonder Girl as she looked down on him. When the look of realization crossed his face, Wonder Girl had inwardly assumed that like so many before him, he recognized the symbol on her chest. It wasn't the most well known in the world, that would probably belong to Superman, but it was close.

"No… I haven't heard of them. I was talking about… you know… Wonder Woman?" She inquired, gesturing at the symbol on her chest once more, as the two lines and the eagle made up a pair of W's stacked on top of one another.

In some ways it was helpful with a great many people because they recognized the symbol. It tended to relax tensions and concerns between people.

On the flip side it was always frustrating because it was how many people tended to refer to her, "Wonder Woman's sidekick," it was more than a little irritating as she was her own woman and her powers and skills were completely separate from Diana's. She definitely wasn't the other woman's sidekick.

Of course two of her best friends had that problem, and both of them were way _way_ worse off than she was.

"Sorry, I haven't met her either… though I guess I can see the naming convention," Harry shrugged honestly after a moment's thought.

"Oh." She deflated slightly, and then brightened, this was one of the first people she had ever met who hadn't reacted at all to the mention of her "cousin."

"So do you have one?" she finally asked to break the awkward silence that had descended

"Have one what?" Harry asked in confusion.

"A super hero codename?" she clarified with a smile.

"Oh. Um. No… sorry, I don't have a code name," Harry replied with another shrug. This was turning into a slightly surreal conversation, but given that they weren't torturing him and seemed nice Harry was willing to go with the flow for the moment. However there was one point he felt was a sticking point, "And I'm definitely not a superhero or anything."

Wonder Girl got a cautious look on her face. "You're… not a bad guy are you?" She felt silly almost as soon as the question escaped her mouth. But she really didn't know how else to ask it. Granted Cyborg had said there were any red flags regarding the person in front of him that he could find based on facial recognition anyway.

"Um. I don't think so?" Harry responded to the awkward question with an awkward response of his own.

"Then what are you?" Wonder Girl asked, doggedly determined to get some sort of answer out of him,

"That's… a really complicated story," Harry chuckled, unable to help it as he considered it, "But, I can tell you that in my experience, most bad people don't see themselves as bad guys."

"Oh?" she asked, still looking at him with that trace of caution.

"Yeah, in my experience bad guys are arseholes who tend to think there is only power and those too weak to use it," Harry said, before his frown became more pronounced, "Or they think they're doing all these bad things for other people's own good."

Wonder Girl frowned as she turned that over in her head. It had been eerily like comments and observations Diana had when they were discussing people such as Vandal Savage, Circe, and others.

"Okay… how about I ask you an easier question?" She asked as he seemed to be content to watch her for the moment.

Harry grunted in acknowledgement, "Ask me what?" His tone was slightly distracted as his eyes flicked down to his chest. Not only was he having this conversation with another woman while shirtless, but Harry wondered if he was imagining things or if the bruising was receding and the burn was actually smaller.

She glanced backward at the person Harry still had not seen yet, and an amused smile crossed her face, "Well, if you don't have a code name or anything… I'm kind of curious as to what I call you."

"Harry," He responded without concern, letting out another grunt as his arm came over to rest over his eyes and block the rather harsh light out. He could stand it, but it was still irritating. Growing up in a cupboard had left him much more comfortable ins dark environs than bright ones.

Bright ones didn't bother him usually, but even on the beach he worse sunglasses because he preferred it that way. He figured he was allowed some leeway after being pounded into the ground.

"Harry?" she echoed curiously. Whatever she had expected, that wasn't it.

"Yes, Harry." he responded dryly, "Harry Potter."

Wonder Girl nodded, "Well, it's nice to meet you Harry Potter, I'm Cassie, Cassie Sandsmark."

Harry lifted his arm to look at her as she gave him a far more normal name this time.

She shrugged, "A name for a name, and for me it's not exactly a secret identity. Don't be surprised if others you meet only give you code names. Secret identities and all are important in this business."

Harry seemed to turn that over in his head before he shook it slightly, returning to slightly more pressing matters, as he went back to resting his hand over his eyes, "What's with all the lights?"

Next to Cassie another man stepped into view. At least Harry thought it was a man.

Part of his face was human, the other part was mechanical and a good deal of his body was mechanical as well. In fact the only part that seemed to be human was the portion of the face he saw, which was less than half of it.

What really put Harry on edge was that the robotic half had a red circle where the eye was supposed to be. It vividly reminded Harry of Mad-Eye Moody, or at least of the man who impersonated him, whose last act Harry vividly remembered was to fire a killing curse at him.

"They're yellow sun lamps to help you heal faster," the man spoke in his same baritone Harry had heard that had woke him up in the first place.

Harry looked back and forth between Cassie and this machine person

"Um. Okay, two questions then. First, who are you? Second, how in Merlin's name do these help me heal faster?" Harry wondered if it were a different type of magic or if it was some sort of weirdly advanced technology.

The metallic man exchanged a look with Cassie who seemed to shrug and return the look saying 'I told you so.'

"My name Cyborg or Victor if you prefer." The machine man replied, in a strangely calming and soothing tone.

Harry just nodded in response. He didn't need a repeat of the superhero codename conversation. "Right... and the lights?"

"Kryptonian physiology is powered by sunlight, so they heal quicker when exposed to the light of a yellow sun," Cyborg responded.

"Oohkay... what does that have to do with me?" Harry asked, having no clue what the hell a Kryptonian was, much less why they were treating him like one.

"We think you might be kryptonian." Cyborg replied bluntly.

"Oh," Harry blinked as his last internal question was answered, "Well... I have no idea what that is so…" He trailed off unhelpfully.

Cassie glanced over at Victor before she spoke up, "Kryptonians are beings from another world. A world that was destroyed. A couple of them survived, and several made their way to Earth."

Seeing that she had Harry's attention, she continued, "The yellow sun gives them powers, many of which you displayed in the battle. Flight, strength, speed, durability. The ability to set things on fire."

"That was a bit of a step up from turning my teacher's hair blue," Harry muttered and then shook his head, looking back and forth between the two, as he considered what they said. It did describe a lot of his abilities, however his grandmother's notes hadn't said anything about a yellow sun, so that was new to him. He hadn't really noticed getting anything from the sun, but… he had never really been looking. "I guess it's possible."

Victor lifted his shoulders slightly in a shrug, "I can't confirm one way or the other. Your body has some sort of weird energy that interferes with the scanner from actually getting a look at your cells. And I don't know what the hell your blood sample was..."

Harry looked up sharply at that last comment, "What do you mean?"

"We took some blood off your face from your nose and… I mean that your blood sample didn't read as blood. We tried several samples, and my scans still don't know what to make of it," the Cyborg replied.

Harry relaxed slightly. It was one of the things he and Sirius had done after Harry had left Britain. The goblins had been particularly helpful. Harry didn't want anyone to be able to take his blood unwillingly again. While Sirius hadn't known of anything that could help, he had brought it up with the goblins. They were only too happy to provide magic that would render any blood taken by force or even by magically coerced consent, completely useless.

They oh so enjoyed when their magic could interfere with wizards. They hadn't said anything about non-magical methods but they had specified that it would be useless unless consent was given.

"Yeah, my blood's a bit weird like that," He stated with a shrug, not really willing to go into it, especially as he wasn't sure whether it would be breaking the statute of secrecy or not.

Cyborg narrowed his eye at Harry's comment but didn't press it further

He glanced around at the lamps again, they were really getting on his nerves, "As far as I know the light doesn't do anything for me."

"You've been healing since we put you under the lamps." Cyborg replied with a raised eyebrow in a not-quite argument. He hadn't been able to track the healing progress before he got under the lamps since Raven had brought them all back.

"I think that would happen anyway," Harry replied, granted he hadn't been injured since his powers emerged, but he had always recovered faster than normal from injuries before. His eyes flicked down to his chest and he was certain that the burn mark was smaller and the black bruising was receding.

"So you're not kryptonian... ?" Cyborg asked

Harry shrugged his head, "No bloody clue mate,"

Harry looked around once more, "Where am I? In some sort of mug- hospital?" He asked.

"You're in the infirmary of Titans Headquarters," Cyborg responded.

Harry rolled his eyes and sighed, "It figures. Another infirmary… and can we please turn down these bloody lights? Seriously… they're just irritating."

Without anyone moving, the lights all dimmed down significantly, so that there was normal light exposure in the room.

"Thanks mate." As he took another look at himself, then he stilled suddenly, and his eyes went wide realizing what was missing.

"Where's my watch?" He looked around frantically

"It is approximately 1 AM local time." Cyborg supplied helpfully, one of many functions of his cybernetics

"That's not why I'm asking!" Harry blurted looked around frantically as he started to push up off the bed despite the soreness of his body..

Cassie however immediately moved in close, having picked it up off his coat next to the bed. "I'm sorry Cyborg couldn't figure out how to get it off you and I broke the band trying to get off your coat. I think it was broken when the Atomic Skull blasted you."

Harry had no idea who or for that matter _what_ , Atomic Skull was but figured it was another name thing, and stared at the watch, indeed the front of the glass was broken, and the entire thing was black with soot.

"Shit, I knew we should have figured out something else and get some other protections." Harry muttered, staring at the broken watch in his hands, "But Sirius was more worried about how cool looking the damn coat was."

Harry shook his head and glanced up at Cyborg, pushing to the end of the bed with only a little stiffness this time, "Maybe I can get back before he notices."

Cassie looked at him in surprise, "Are you going to be in trouble?" She was not unaware of the fact that sometimes teenagers, especially teenaged heroes, had secrets from their parents and needed to make sure they were back and kept up the facade of being normal teenagers.

"What?" Harry asked looking at her before shaking her head as her question caught up with him,, "No, the watch is sort of a safety protection we both have. If one or the other of us has an emergency we break the glass to let the other know."

"Of course, we've never actually tried them since we've had them a grand total of a day or so…" Harry trailed off and shook his head.

"It's only been about 2 hours, he might not of noticed, he was... distracted when I left." Harry remembered as he turned on the bed, sitting up and letting his legs dangle down. He resisted the urge to groan, though he definitely found movement a bit easier than a few minutes earlier when he had just woken up.

"Um, it's actually been closer to five hours," Cassie interjected with a concerned glance at Cyborg.

Harry turned his attention back to her, the confusion in his expression very easy to read, "I didn't leave the penthouse until after ten-thirty, because we only got back from the baseball game at ten, and Victor just said that it was one am."

"Local time." Cyborg clarified. "We are on the west coast, just outside of San Francisco."

Harry stared at him, "Well... crap… assuming they paused for breath or something... he's going to be panicking."

"We could call him on his cell if you know the number," Cyborg offered.

"He doesn't have one. The first one he got just stopped working, and the last one shorted out in his pocket and set his pants on fire," Harry couldn't help but snicker at that memory before he got serious once more as he chewed on his lip.

He glanced up at Wonder Girl and Cyborg a moment. Well, one was a half robot, and the other one could fly. He doubted the statute of secrecy applied to them.

"Dobby!" Harry said suddenly.

Cyborg and Wonder Girl both gave him odd looks at the exclamation.

There was no response and Harry frowned, his concern growing, "Dobby?" He repeated.

Several seconds passed, and Cassie who hadn't stopped looking at Harry curiously, started to ask "What are yo-" when she was cut off by a pop.

Dobby appeared on the bed breathing heavily and swayed woozily and would have toppled backward if Harry hadn't reached out and caught him.

Cassie had jerked back sharply from the bed at the sudden arrival, Cyborg had reacted even more sharply, stepping back and raising his right arm which was now in the form of a canon, though he didn't fire.

"Dobby? Are you okay?" Harry asked, ignoring the other two momentarily, as they hadn't actually made any threatening moves, and was well aware Dobby could startle people. He reached out, steadying his friend and holding him up by the shoulders.

The little being burst out into tears, "Master Harry Potter is hurt! But is okay!"

Harry frowned, wincing as the half weeping, half exuberant house elf threw himself at his master, and brushed against some injuries. Though he definitely noted that his chest was healing now. As the bruises were noticeably shrinking and breathing had become much easier.

Harry looked up to say something to Cassie and Cyborg who had hesitantly lowered his arm a little. However before he could say anything, behind the two standing at his bed, a black pool appeared in the room and a pale woman in a dark blue cloak emerged, her expression concerned worried.

Harry vaguely recognized her from her place on the street when he had seen her earlier, though now she had her hood down, and he could see her dark purple hair. She was very attractive, and also her outfit exposed a great deal of very long legs.

"Raven?" Cyborg asked, the question on her abrupt appearance obvious.

"Our magical defenses were just breached by an unknown entity," She reported immediately to Cyborg.

"Magical?" Cyborg said sharply.

"So much for the Statute of Secrecy." Harry said wryly, more amused than anything.

Raven ignored the question and stared at Harry on the bed, as well as the small creature who seemed to be struggling to pull himself together.

"Demon!" Raven hissed out. She raised her hands, already outlined in black though she didn't strike for fear of hurting the unknown human in the bed. One who had helped them out earlier.

"No!" Harry called out, physically pushing Dobby behind him slightly and tensing. Once more, he was uncertain of what she could do, but resolved that if he felt himself in danger at any point he was going to do all he could to escape.

"Dobby is not a demon, he is a house elf, and he is my friend. I called him here. He won't hurt you," Harry hesitated and added somewhat sheepishly, "Um, unless you try to hurt me."

Truthfully he could see that Dobby had seemed exhausted, though the little fellow had recovered somewhat, Harry wasn't sure how up to blasting someone else on their ass he was.

Raven hesitated and lowered her hands slowly when she saw the little being make no aggressive moves as it peered over Harry's shoulder with uncertain movements.

Harry let out a relieved breath and then turned to Dobby,

The being was staring at him with watery eyes, "Master Harry Potter call Dobby his friend! And… Master Harry Potter hurt!"

Harry managed to keep from rolling his eyes. Dobby was still exuberant and emotional when it came to him. The little being taking in the bruises on Harry's face, and chest. His emotions whipping back and forth that only Harry knowing the little being was able to keep up with.

"I'm okay. Dobby I'm okay. I promise," Harry explained soothingly well used to the house elf's back and forth emotions.

"Dobby was being so worried." The little being sniffled a bit.

"Why, what happened?" Harry asked gently. He had gone entire days without calling for Dobby before. Though the little bugger still fixed meals, unless Sirius and her were going to get food out, they always appeared when they were desired.

Dobby seemed to have either been put into shock or calmed down some when he replied, "Master Harry's godfather summoned Dobby when alarm went off. Asked Dobby to find Master Harry but Dobby couldn't!"

Though he wasn't wailing, which was somewhat of a relief to Harry, the house elf tugged on his ears firmly as a sure sign of distress.

"Why couldn't you, Dobby?" Harry enquired, not understanding why it was such a big deal.

"Dobby is Master Harry Potter's elf. Dobby always be able to find Master! But… but.. Master Harry was hidden by magic and far away. Dobby knew Master Harry was alive, but did not know where until Master Harry called Dobby, then Dobby had to fight through magics to get to him!" The House elf explained as his voice rose and fell with the sound of his distress.

Raven hesitantly dropped her arms to her side, as much out of pity as out of realization that the being didn't pose any significant danger to them, , "Those would be the magical wards and protections on the island. They help make it safer." She clarified staring at the two.

Harry nodded, noting to himself that apparently the statute of secrecy was practically non-existent over here, "Dobby, where is my godfather?"

"Master Harry's dogfather knew direction from tracking charm on watch. Headed toward Harry." The little being explained promptly.

Harry sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Dobby, can you find Sirius and keep him from doing something stupid? Tell him I'm okay."

Dobby hesitated. "Dobby can be trying. But Master Harry's Padfoot is not Master, and tracking may be harder."

Harry sighed and with another glance up at Cassie and Victor and the new arrival who seemed more than a little intimidating, He held the soot covered watch flat on his palm, despite the bruises, though the ones on his hands seemed to be the same size, his healing seemed to be focused on the ones on his chest at the moment.

He waved his other hand over the watch and murmured "Point me Sirius."

There was a brief hesitation and then a crimson flickering arrow appeared in the air, it was pointing almost directly downward.

Raven breathed in sharply when she felt Harry activate the magic, while Cassie looked interested, and Cyborg's eye was running all sorts of scans on different wavelengths.

Harry tapped the watch a few times and sighed. "Crap. I think... it's broken."

"What is it supposed to do?" Raven asked tilting her head curiously at the unfamiliar magic.

Harry glanced up, and saw that all three people were interested. "It's got a paired tracking charm on it. The watch is supposed to be able to point toward the other watch, and the color is supposed to tell me how close he is. Red should mean within fifty yards or so."

"But given that it's pointing straight down, unless we're somewhere high in the air..." Harry trailed off as the arrow twitched slightly.

"We are in a tower," Cassie offered.

He broke off and frowned as the hovering arrow suddenly began to move going from straight down and moving clockwise upward slowly. "I don't think it's broken. Dobby, I think Sirius is close by..."

Harry watched as the arrow continued to twitch slightly in movement, "He's probably in the building."

"Unlikely." Cyborg stated with more than a little certainty, "Our defenses are some of the best in the world. The only place harder to break into is probably Justice League headquarters..."

He left unsaid that part of the reason for that was the location of said headquarters.

Harry snorted, "My godfather broke out of a supposedly 'unbreakable' prison. Set up by people who knew all of a wizard's tricks."

"Your godfather is a wizard?" Raven asked sharply.

"You weren't kidding about that complicated story were you Harry?" Cassie interjected with a grin. She found herself liking the teen's spirit, and the obvious care he spoke to the creature who hovered around him worriedly.

"Well, I can assure you that cameras cover nearly all portions of Titan's Tower save for private quarters of any residents," Cyborg explained,

Cyborg's human eye went distant as he looked to be assimilating information "I can visually account for everyone here at the moment,"

"Outside of the four... correction five beings in this room. There are currently five other people on the premises. Speedy, Ravager, and Kid Flash, are all currently in the kitchen eating," Cyborg explained, "Robin is working on a computer between workouts in one of the exercise rooms."

He paused and his mechanical eye seemed to shift slightly, "It also appears Beast Boy has entered the premises and is currently in the elevator, in the form of a dog."

Harry looked up sharply at that comment and then sighed, "Dobby, can you go get Sirius from the elevator before he does something rash, or is your magic still being interfered with?"

"Dobby can do it." Dobby responded after a moment before he nodded and then disappeared.

"I don't know who Beast Boy is, but if it's a dog it's probably my god father," Harry told the man sheepishly.

Cyborg opened his mouth to reply and explain when suddenly Dobby popped back in holding a large black dog. Which he dumped on the bed next to Harry.

"That... is not Beast Boy," Raven stated the obvious

"The security cams in the elevators haven't been updated in awhile and are still black and white. I had no idea he wasn't green," Cyborg replied by way of explanation. His eye was currently running scans on the dog in front of him.

The dog looked around first at Harry then at his surroundings, most specifically at the people surrounding him. Instantly he took a defensive stance on the bed and growled threateningly at the unfamiliar people surrounding Harry.

"The dog is your godfather?" Raven asked neutrally in a dry tone.

"In a manner of speaking," Harry replied with a roll of his eyes before turning his attention to the dog.

"Sirius, no it's okay. They're not trying to hurt me," Harry said quickly. "Go ahead and change back."

The dog turned around from the strangers to face Harry to determine his level of sincerity. Once he realized that Harry was being sincere and honest, and that he didn't seem to be threatened at the moment, he hopped off the bed reverting to human form in mid air and turned back to Harry.

"Merlin Harry, what in bloody hell happened to you?" Sirius demanded, as he stepped forward, his hands lifting Harry's chin to look at the bruising on his face. Not commenting on the way Harry flinched ever so slightly when he reached for him, but had no protest when he actually touched him.

He completely ignored the other three in the room, who though forewarned were now staring cautiously at the man.

"That was magic." Raven stated, more for establishing the fact of the action aloud and clarifying it for her friends more than anything else.

Harry ran a hand through his hair, as Sirius turned his head to one side and then the other, "Um... My normal luck?" He offered somewhat sheepishly.

"What did you get into this time?" Sirius sighed, releasing his face.

"Oh you know. Flying around. Investigating explosions. saving people thing. Fist fight." Harry explained with as much an offhand manner as he could.

Sirius stared at Harry for several long moments. "Okay... before you explain that statement, and you _will_ be explaining that statement. I have one question."

Harry tilted his head curiously.

"What the bloody hell is _that?"_ Sirius suddenly spun and pointed at Victor, whose eye narrowed at him.

The part man part machine sighed slightly. "Victor Stone, and I am Cyborg."

Sirius nodded in understanding and then slowly pointed at Viktor. "You, Cyborg." He turned his hand and pointed at himself, keeping his movements slow and exaggerated, "Me, wizard."

"What?" Cyborg asked, an expression of confusion on his face at the sudden odd way Sirius had begun speaking.

"Me.. wizard!" Sirius repeated even slower, "Wizard… make magic!" Sirius removed his wand and waved it around for emphasis as if he were speaking to a child.

Harry snorted, "Sirius, he's not slow. He was saying that his superhero codename is Cyborg."

At the confused expression, on Sirius' face Cassie interjected, "He is part machine, part man, which is the definition of Cyborg."

When Sirius turned to look at him in confusion, Harry elaborated. "It's apparently sort of a thing. He is Cyborg, the blonde is Wonder Girl, and I'm guessing the girl in blue is Raven... but apparently they have a Ravager, a Speedy, a Kid Flash, and Robin around here as well. Heck, they thought you were someone named Beast Boy."

"Oh," Sirius stared at Cyborg for a moment and then snorted, "Well those are some silly names."

Harry stared at his godfather in disbelief for several seconds before he snorted, "Yes, because your teenaged rebellion with _Prongs_ and _Wormtail_ to assist _Moony_ by becoming _Padfoot_ is practically _inspired_ by comparison."

"Well, I don't go around calling myself a bloody superhero do I?" Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I know, they'd have to call you… I don't know. Doggy boy or something," Harry muttered.

"No that doesn't work. Mine would be more like… Panty Dropper… but that doesn't sound heroic at all!" Sirius actually seemed to ponder the jibe seriously, before Harry rolled his eyes at the response having completely forgotten the presence of the Cyborg.

"Victor was checking me out with his fancy equipment." Harry said with a gesture at the medical equipment all around bringing his godfather's focus back around. He knew if he let the older man sit there and ruminate he probably would be distracted for an hour coming up with a decent name.

Sirius looked around the room slowly at Harry's gesture, his face briefly turning uncommonly grim, though his gaze fixed for several seconds on a monitor on the wall. That particular monitor showed a skeleton though it had colored portions that were hazy and seemed to move.

Sirius shook his head and turned back to Harry, just looking at his godson's bruised face, before he sighed in exasperation, "How do you managed to get into these sorts of messes?"

"Hey, all I did was go for a flight while trying to give you and your two friends privacy at the hotel," Harry retorted with a roll of his eyes.

"Going for a flight usually does not end up with someone looking like your father and I, after our dissillusion charms wore off in the Slytherin women's dorms during fifth year," Sirius replied, crossing his arms as he stared down his godson.

"I didn't intend for it to happen. I heard an explosion, and went to investigate and then saw some people who needed help," Harry said defensively.

"Putting aside the whole 'going towards an explosion rather than away from it, for a second," Sirius scowled, "What have I told you about going off flying and saving strange people?"

"Erm, nothing?" Harry replied dryly, "Hell, if you want to be technical about it, I was practically following your instructions!"

"I did so tell you not to go off too far and to be careful when we were away from the island," Sirius responded immediately, "The flying part falls under the 'go off'. You're on the other side of this bloody country, which is the definition of "too far" and… you're in the hospital which means you were the exact opposite of 'careful'"

"Yes but you also have said many...many… _many_ times... all rules are voided if it involved attractive women." Harry replied triumphantly.

"So?" Sirius demanded.

Harry responded by pointing a finger at Cassie then moving it to point at Raven.

Sirius turned his head to follow Harry's pointing and examined first one and then the other critically for a moment, causing Cassie to blush under his gaze, and Raven merely to raise an inquisitive eyebrow before he turned back to Harry.

"Fair enough." Sirius said with a straight face but the cadence of the argument barely paused, "But, I told you to watch out for the strange ones!"

Cassie's whose blush had just increased got an offended look in her eyes. Raven on the other hand didn't show any real reaction.

"They weren't strange! They were trying to save people," Harry defended, and then pointed at Cassie, "She saved some kids from having a car smashed into them."

"Harry, I know that you're still a bit... _behind_ perception wise," Sirius said as if he were watching his words, "But getting hit with a car… and being okay… that's like... the very definition of strange."

"Hey, I've done it… twice… but the second time shouldn't count because it was more me hitting the car than it was the other way around!" Harry protested as he remembered getting smashed into one by the white giant.

Sirius' eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms "And when _exactly_ did you get hit with a car, mister?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "That first day we were here, you were busy trying to flirt and pay with that assistant with the crazy hairdo that did that weird twisty thing," Harry demonstrated with a twist of his hand above his head.

"Her hair wasn't that weird." Sirius defended, though he sounded less than certain about his assertion.

"You don't even remember her hair! Your eyes didn't make it above the level of her chin," Harry responded dryly "While you were flirting, I went to get some air and wasn't paying attention to traffic and a taxi hit me."

Sirius frowned as he concentrated trying to remember the events, "Hey… you said the taxi had just hit a large puddle and that's why your new pants were already stained."

Harry shrugged, "Well, there was a puddle. It just… happened to be oil leaking from the engine that had smashed after the guy had run into me."

"Hey I remember that part now! You said that taxi driver was pointing at you and yelling because he might have recognized you." Sirius sounded indignant.

"Yeah… well… I wasn't lying, I just didn't say from what." Harry replied. "Besides, he ran the red light."

Both men seemed to be completely ignoring the three Teen titans watching the exchange.

"Well… now I feel sorta bad about that obliviate charm…" Sirius muttered before he ran an exasperated hand through his hair. "Merlin Harry, you have to tell me when these sorts of things happen!"

"Psh. It happens, I was completely fine. Another normal day!" Harry responded calmly.

"Getting hit by a car is hardly normal by any definition!" Sirius replied, his teasing grin taking out any sting Harry could have taken from the comment

Sirius shook his head and seemed to switch gears immediately, "So you went flying and came to the rescue of strange but attractive blonde and girl with purple hair. How does that end up with you looking like you went a few rounds with a herd of hippogriffs?"

"Well, one of the guys was really tough and we got into kind of a fist fight," Harry hedged.

"You can break a break a tree like a twig. Who the bloody hell did you get into a fist fight with?" Sirius demanded.

"Well… I think his name was Grundy… but just picture Hagrid's … angrier… stupider… stronger… albino big brother," Harry replied dryly, "One with a strange obsession with talking in third person."

Sirius' face twisted as he tried to imagine that.

Harry refrained from asking whether his godfather was pondering the bigger, stupider, stronger or albino part of his statement.

"And I was winning until I got blasted with something." Harry pointed at Cassie, "She hit the bad guy who blasted me, which I assume prevented him from blasting me again. I admit I kinda lost track at that point."

Cassie stared at Harry in surprise. He was completely underplaying his part in the entire thing, and made no mention of saving the children and Raven from possibly getting flattened since she had been in no way certain she was going to manage that. He made it seem like a perfectly equal team up. He was also underplaying his own injuries. Injuries that seemed to be healing faster the longer she watched him. The burn on his chest was almost gone, and was a patch of reddened skin, and the bruising had gone down significantly.

She narrowed her eyes and regarded him thoughtfully.

"Anyway, then the big guy got ahold of me and slammed me to the ground and kept hitting me, then I got really _really_ angry...and I sorta kinda accidentlysethimonfire," Harry concluded, finishing the last in a rush.

"You did what?" Sirius demanded at Harry's mumbling.

"I accidently set him on fire," Harry said with a resigned sigh, "Then I picked up the git, and tossed him somewhere."

Sirius' eyes narrowed as he figure out that Harry was talking about some sort of accidental magic. Not that he hadn't shown he could do magic without a wand. But he clearly hadn't intended to set the thing on fire.

Cyborg spoke up, "Did you do that with your eyes?"

Harry looked at him with a puzzled frown, "Er… no, my hand, I think."

Cyborg opened his mouth but Sirius cut him off. He didn't really want to get into discussion around strangers of magic. He wasn't sure how strong the statute of secrets was and didn't want to find that they had been responsible for violating it.

"And how does that end up with your watch broken? That was supposed to be charmed only to break deliberately!" Sirius demanded.

Harry snorted, "Not sure. Maybe if we had spent as much time having the watches enchanted as you insisted on getting the coats jammed with the charms, it wouldn't have broken either."

"Hey! Those coats were totally worth it and they could only put so much on the watches, space limitations for enchanting and all," Sirius defended.

"Uh-huh. Sure." Harry responded with a grin at his godfather's discomfort. "Anyway, after I set him on fire and threw him, Merlin only knows were. I sorta kinda passed out."

"And we brought him here for treatment." Cassie interjected her eyes having been flicking back and forth between the two as they spoke, trying to determine the nature of their relationship.

"You can't go anywhere without getting into trouble Harry," Sirius sighed as his attention flicked from Harry to Cassie and back.

"Hey, at least it was trouble that I wasn't manipulated into this time!" Harry shot back with an impish grin.

"Maybe the old man had one thing right, he didn't have to do anything, just leave you to your own devices and let you find trouble like it was a galleon and you were a bloody niffler," Sirius shook his head in exasperation.

"Oi, that was a low blow!" Harry protested.

"Maybe the truth hurts!" Sirius grinned wider, "You need a minder."

"You really wanna go there?" Harry narrowed his eyes.

Sirius smirked, "Harry, it's pretty obvious that you practically need 'round the clock adult supervision."

"That's funny," Harry snorted, "Considering the _supposed_ adult on this trip was too busy screwing two gold digging bimbos to even know I was gone."

"They weren't bimbos!" Sirius protested.

"They couldn't even follow a single part of the bloody ball game! I've seen exactly one and I could at least follow the pitches and outs," Harry responded.

"Hey, sometimes keeping track of it all is hard." Sirius responded, sounding more than a trace defensive.

"Strike One. Two. Three," Harry responded, "Nothing hard about that. They couldn't count to three. Thus… bimbos. And they were only interested in you after you were waving your stupid black credit card around. Thus gold digging. Therefore all evidence points to gold digging bimbos."

"Hey, one of them had a college degree," Sirius replied now he was definitely on the defensive, "Besides, strikes outs, hits… balls… it's hard to keep track of it all."

"Oh, that makes acting like a manwhore with two girls closer to my age than yours, and only interested in the view from your penthouse _completely_ acceptable then." Harry said dryly.

"At least I didn't end up in the infirmary on my first night out" Sirius replied.

"And yet... here you are." Harry replied with a smirk.

Sirius opened his mouth to retort and froze.

Harry stared at him with a growing smile for nearly three seconds, and then held up his arms in victory, the very minor jolt of pain in his shoulder was ignored. "I win."

Sirius hesitated a moment and then deflated and nodded. "Yeah, you win that round!"

Harry grinned and pumped his fist, "Yes!"

"Thought I had you with the Old man comment." Sirius huffed.

"Yeah and I thought I got you with the attractive women and whole albino Hagrid bit," Harry replied.

Sirius shook his head, "No, I didn't expect you to have a response for supervision comment. After that. I was on my heels."

"I noticed, when you said 'balls' without managing to use a single sexual innuendo," Harry replied.

"Hey, that was entirely factual." Sirius protested.

Harry just grinned in response.

Cyborg cleared his throat loudly to get the attention of the two men. Harry and Sirius turned as one as if surprised to see them there.

Harry got a somewhat sheepish expression on his face.

Sirius just looked confused. "Yes?"

Cyborg looked like he didn't know where to start. so Cassie jumped in, "Who are you, and... what was _that?"_ she said gesturing between Sirius and Harry indicating their last exchange.

"Well, my name is Sirius Black. Also known as Padfoot, the brains and beauty of the Marauders, wizard, former auror, formerly wrongfully accused and imprisoned but unconvicted prisoner. Thus not a felon. The only person to ever escape Azkaban Prison in the North Sea, at least solo, and unaided and currently at least nominally responsible for the trouble magnet I call my Godson as we enjoy a much needed and deserved vacation."

"He's still salty that someone else escaped the prison too," Harry supplied to the group with amusement. "That's why he always says solo and unaided."

"Don't start that with me again. Crouch had help from his mummy and daddy." Sirius replied huffily, "I did it all by myself."

"And what was that between the two of you?" She asked.

Sirius grinned, "Oh that? Just continuing my work in teaching Harry the noble art of disrespecting authority figures. It was something he was woefully undereducated in." He said dismissing the topic at least for the moment.

"Now if that's all, we'll be on our way." He said dusting his shoulders off primly. Sirius' expression gained a hard edge, "I assume we're free to go?"

"Of course." Cyborg replied immediately, Despite his struggle to keep up with the seeming mercurial moods of the other man, Cyborg had no trouble hearing the threat in Sirius' voice.

"But we'd prefer you'd stay for a little bit." Cyborg added after Sirius had relaxed.

"Why?" Sirius asked cautiously.

"Well, we'd like to make sure Harry makes a complete recovery from his injuries, though they do seem to be well on their way already," Cyborg added the second part cutting off the reply both Harry and Sirius had been about to make.

"Plus we'd like to find out more about you. One of you is supposedly an alien. The other one of you is a wizard. Neither of you we've ever come across before, much less a… what did you call it? a house elf? so we're more than a little interested."

Harry blinked. "Actually… I'm a wizard, too," he said, a little sheepishly.

"Actually," Sirius said a bit louder, emphasizing Harry's own use of the word, "As of a few weeks ago, an emancipated teenaged drop out… from wizarding school," Sirius sniffed with a grin. "So he's really not very good at it."

"Show of hands, all of those who've repeatedly fought off a homicidal dark lord with minimal help," Harry shot back as he glared at his godfather while raising his hand.

"You can only use that so many times before it becomes… less eff… ect..." Sirius started to say and trailed off as he saw Harry looking past him with shock painted on his features

He turned around and was surprised to see that all three titans had raised their hands.

"Huh…" Harry said eloquently.

Sirius however was grinning wildly as he pointed in triumph at Harry, "No longer able to ride that whole 'I'm an angsty teenager because I had to do the whole "dark lord vanquisher" thing.' There's others who are capable now, so you can lie back and get some rest for once."

"Actually, I'm not all that tired." Harry replied, ignoring his godfather's taunts, and more than a little curious about the replies of the others. "I'm actually more hungry than anything..."

His stomach audibly rumbled at that moment as if to emphasize his statement.

Cyborg tilted his head, "If you like, we have a kitchen that is well stocked."

"I can show you," volunteered Cassie immediately.

Harry looked up at her and then glanced briefly at Sirius who shrugged.

"Okay. Though first... I need some new clothes, the coat survived, the shirt's a loss and these pants are filthy." Harry replied in disgust.

As if by command Dobby reappeared holding some folded clothes.

Harry blinked and raised an eyebrow, "You didn't have as much trouble getting here this time Dobby?"

"Now that Dobby knows how to get through, it's much easier." The little being explained, looking pleased.

"That… concerns me that he can get past the magical protections." Raven said quietly still somewhat on edge watching the diminutive being.

Harry shrugged absently and then looked up at the people present expectantly. "Not sure what I can tell you about that, you're welcome to ask Dobby for insight."

When those around him just continued to stare at him, he shook his head, "A little privacy?"

Sirius snorted while Cyborg's red eye flashed slightly and a slightly translucent wall raised about two feet from the end of the bed, giving him a privacy curtain as he changed. It took less than twenty seconds for Harry to get changed.

Harry walked out around the privacy screen. "Okay, I'm ready. Lead on."

He had dressed in jeans and a simple dark red t-shirt. Not a tight one but it did hint at the muscular frame underneath. He also had sneakers on his feet, and mismatched socks that he would later blame Dobby for.

Cassie nodded, and turned to leave, pausing only when Cyborg spoke up, "Raven why don't you join them? I have a few questions for Harry's godfather that I'm a little curious about and was hoping he might have information before we join you."

Cyborg said it in an offhand manner, and Raven gave him a brief inscrutable look before she nodded. "Very well."

Cassie looked puzzled but shrugged and Harry looked at Sirius inquisitively.

Sirius met Cyborg's eye for a moment before waving Harry off. "Go on, I have questions I'd like to ask Mr. Cyborg here as well."

Harry looked at his godfather closely, but couldn't detect any hint of intending to cause trouble… at least any more than normal. Not that that reassured him a great deal but he shrugged. "Okay."

Cassie smiled and lead them out the door, with Harry and Raven trailing behind her.

 **oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo**

 **Author's notes: Wooohooo chapter 2!**

 **1) If this is going as planned I released this chapter the same time as I released chapter 1. Mostly so I could start establishing the DC universe as the focus of this story. Clearly Harry is going to be involved.**

 **2) Just to make it clear, We are going with the COMIC UNIVERSE. And not the CRAP nu52 crap either. Though as timelines are in that universe it's somewhat flexible. IF you are an expert in the DC universe and are interested in doing some writing and helping please reach out. Plums and I are doing this together and while I know enough to be dangerous, I really could use an expert :P**

 **Also, now you see one of the many things that has caught our attention and our writing.**

 **3) Plums piddlings:**

 **As Kat has repeatedly said, i know Jack and Squat about DC other than seeing the 60's Batman TV show as a kid, seeing the Batman cartoon while it played in the 90's, and what I've read in fanfiction**

 **My goal is to try and keep the aloof'ness going with Harry for a bit, as in theory… he's supposed to be on a world tour. I'm not exactly wanting him to get bogged down immediately with a 'job' as a crime fighter.**

 **Kat: LOL This is Harry. Let's face it. He's going to end up hip deep.**

 **4) Have you figured out what Harry is yet? Sharp Eyed Shout Out if you do! Hint: NOT DC.**

 **Alternative Chapter Titles:**

" **To those keeping score, that's Padfoot 2, Prongs Jr. 0 and everyone else 0." - Sirius**

"What? How many diseases you've risked?" - Harry

"Hardly. You're just jealous." - Sirius.

"I just don't think we should count bimbos whose names you won't remember." - Harry

" **How did I end up in an infirmary again?" - Harry Potter**

"You're forgetting the most important part."- Sirius

"What? I risked my life again? Maybe nearly died again? Got hurt again?"- Harry

"No! You were shirtless in front of attractive women!"- Sirius

 **Grundy Smash!- Grundy**

"He's like a cheap knock off version of the other guy." - Bruce Banner

"Grundy smash you!" - Grundy

"RAWR Hulk smash!" - Hulk

"Oh shit." - Insurance companies everywhere.

" **The Proper Way to Respond to Authority." - Sirius Black**

"You and Batman are going to get along like a house on fire." - Cyborg

" **Sirius! You only just** _ **now**_ **noticed that the alarm on the watch started vibrating and making noise?" - Harry**

"Well, about that. There were plenty of things vibrating already in the room. And then something one of the girls started smoking which set off an alarm in the place, and then…" - Sirius

"Sirius, do we even have a hotel suite to go back to?" - Harry

"Um… well you see about that…" - Sirius


	3. Insiders and Outsiders

**~Chapter 3~**

 **Insiders and Outsiders**

Sirius and Victor watched the group of teenagers leave before the Wizard looked at Cyborg for a long moment and then deliberately turned to one of the monitors on the wall. His gaze was drawn to the big one that had caught his eye earlier.

It was a very large screen, probably wider than he was tall. It showed a skeleton in white, on a black background, but the image was slightly hazy and indistinct. There seemed to be odd colors that surrounded and clouded the skeleton.

Sirius' merry and easygoing expression of earlier had faded. In its place was something somewhere between coldly calculative and increasingly angry.

"Are you a doctor?" He asked without preamble or without bothering to look over at the other man.

Cyborg hesitated at the change in demeanor of the man before he decided to answer his inquiry as he moved to stand next to him, "Yes, I have Ph.D.'s in both Computer Science and engineering. Neither of those doctorates have anything to do with medical school, and I've never received a medical degree. However, given the level of technology I work with and my experience... I am competent at least as far as being able to understand the human body. Don't ask me to operate on someone though."

Sirius seemed to be considering that as he nodded a little bit. His expression didn't give anything else away though.

Victor gave Sirius an inscrutable look, wondering if the man understood half of what he had said, before he continued, "And… it's because of my experience in that and other areas, that I have some questions for you."

Sirius rolled his shoulders in an approximation of a shrug, completely contrasting with the focused expression on his face.

Cyborg was a bit surprised by the seriousness the man was displaying in direct contrast to his earlier behavior. It was like a switch had been flipped. It made him more cautious because it meant that the man was either far smarter than he seemed to present, or he was mentally unbalanced. Not that the two were mutually exclusive.

Sirius turned to regard him and heard the seriousness in the man's voice. He looked at the machine man with a shrewd expression, "I'll answer yours to the best of my ability... if you answer mine to the same."

"Let's start with you," Cyborg said immediately, pointing one metallic finger at Sirius.

"What about me?" Sirius asked with a tilt of his head.

"Well, being mostly cybernetic means I'm connected to the world at large at all times. I have a notice circled locally in Britain for one Sirius Black, with a picture that's a 99.8 percent match to you. The notice states clearly that you're a wanted man."

"I _was_ a wanted man for escaping _wrongful_ imprisonment," Sirius corrected immediately. "I was recently exonerated and cleared of all charges against me. Given a nice little settlement and payout, too."

Genuine puzzlement crossed Sirius' face. Given how efficient goblins were in all other matters, when Sirius had been assured that notice of his innocence had been broadcast, and he would have no problems traveling muggle or magical. He hadn't even thought to double check.

"No. I got that information," Cyborg replied, "The initial notice circulated as recently as 3 months ago, and as early as a little over two years ago, accuses you of terrorist actions in an explosion that killed 12 people and an incident three days before that when you were responsible for the murder of two others, and the attempted murder of a third."

"Two months ago the news circulated that you had been wrongly accused and new evidence came forth proving your innocence," Cyborg continued, "However, there is a much more recent one, less than two weeks old."

"I haven't even been in Britain for nearly a month, what in Merlin's name could they be after me for now?" Sirius demanded.

"You're wanted for questioning regarding the disappearance and possible abduction and kidnapping of one Harry James Potter from his guardians. Interestingly, Harry himself is wanted for questioning, though the posting is elusive as to what," Cyborg stated, with a glance at the door they just departed from. "His description is a 91.4% match for the Harry that just left the room."

Sirius' eyes narrowed as he considered that, "Son of a bitch," he muttered.

Cyborg raised his lone human eyebrow, clearly awaiting an explanation.

"What?" Sirius demanded in irritation, responding to Cyborg's unspoken question gesturing to where Harry had departed, "Did that interaction make it seem like I kidnapped or abducted Harry? Did it look like I was in any way holding him against his will?"

Cyborg's eye flickered in response as he shook his head negatively, that much he had already worked out.

Sirius regarded Cyborg with a judging look for several long moments, before he sighed, "Look, the long story short, there are some people that want control of Harry over there. They are clearly unhappy that he, and more than likely his money as well, is no longer under their thumb for one reason or another. Not to mention… I'm pretty sure if you look into the records for Harry, you'll be able to see a notice of emancipation in all muggle filings for him. Including their office of origination, which should include approval from Britain's Prime Minister himself. So Harry is entirely free to make his own decisions."

Sirius was relatively certain there was no way they could explain that he had left to avoid a compulsory nine months under the old man's thumb. It was only in the past month or so that it had become apparent to Sirius just how foolish the magical society had become and Dumbledore more than any was a symptom of that.

Cyborg's cybernetic eye flickered as he delved into the information network. Given the speed in which he interacted with computer systems and information, it took him less than two seconds to confirm Sirius' story.

"I see you are correct." Cyborg agreed without malice or challenge, pleased the man seemed to answer his questions honestly even if some of the terms and phrases he didn't understand. He decided that the direct approach seemed to be best with Sirius so he continued with that, "So can we discuss Harry for a bit?"

"What about Harry?" Sirius asked, a trace of caution in his voice.

"Well can we start with what can you tell me about Harry's background?" Cyborg inquired.

"Why?" Sirius demanded, his suspicion reasserting itself.

Cyborg held up his hands in the universal sign of not meaning offense, "Several reasons. He took significant injury tonight while helping several members of our team, in the process so we owe him. Further we may be able to help you as we have a bit of experience working with individuals with... unique biologies."

Sirius glanced significantly at the majority of Cyborg's body and was forced to concede that point.

Sensing that Sirius was wavering Cyborg continued, "Truthfully the powers he has displayed and his physiology seem identical in many ways to Kryptonian physiology. Though his tests are completely inconclusive. So if he or his parents really do have origins that are not terrestrial we've worked with that as well. I was just hoping for a bit more information to better assess his needs."

Cyborg's words seemed to have their desired impact on Sirius as he slumped a little bit and looked at the door Harry had departed through, "I don't know. What is it you want to know?"

Cyborg restrained himself from saying 'everything' and decided to start with the basics, "What can you tell me about his origins? Where did you first encounter him?"

Sirius looked up and a genuine smile crossed his face, "I was there the day Harry was born. We waited and paced in the hospital for… oh I don't know… fifteen hours? I was actually the second person to hold him because his father's hands were shaking so badly, he was so nervous. Lils was worried about James dropping him. They asked me to be Godfather that day."

Cyborg considered that information. He was a bit surprised at what seemed to be such a natural birth, especially that it was obvious it was done on Earth. Given what he knew about kryptonians, that was more than a little unusual, they tended to arrive or in some cases be the result of genetic experiments.

Superman was sent from another planet and raised on Earth from infancy. His cousin was sent as a teen and had only just recently arrived. Conner was made from combining the DNA of Superman and an unknown human. Most of the other kryptonians they had encountered came from the prison realm known as the Phantom Zone, or were pulled out via various genetic means. Cyborg searched his memory for any that he knew might have been born normally, especially on Earth but came up blank.

"If that's the case, what can you tell me about his parents?" Cyborg asked curiously.

"Well, his dad James Potter was my best friend for a decade. We were friends from pretty much the first day of our school. I even lived with him and his parents during summers for a few years when my family and I… well, let's just say we didn't see eye to eye." Sirius smiled slightly as he reminisced, "I met his mom, Lily Evans, the same day I met his dad. I wasn't really as close to her as I was to James until a few years later."

"As far as I knew at the time, James was your usual pureblood wizard, as far as his history was concerned. Though he didn't have the tree branch that seemed to be rectally installed at birth in most purebloods." Sirius explained. When he saw the uncomprehending look on Cyborg's face he sighed and decided to give a little more history. Given the fact that they had a magical person around, and seemed unsurprised by magic Sirius assumed the statute was null and void anyway.

His face turned serious once more, "Part of Harry's heritage is the same as mine. Magic. Wizards and Witches. My family intersects with Harry's through his paternal Grandmother. We can legitimately trace our origins back to the time of the first Pharaohs in Egypt."

"That same heritage also can spontaneously, to our knowledge, manifest in almost any person on Earth. Harry's mother is an example of that." Sirius explained, "A Magical born to Non-Magicals, or 'Muggles' as we've called them for the last three hundred years or so."

"So, a definite terran evolutionary path lead to a portion of your own... abilities?" clarified Cyborg. There was no disbelief in his voice, just curiosity.

Sirius nodded, he hadn't heard the term 'terran' before, but understood enough Latin to understand that Cyborg meant from Earth, "Though for the most part, those abilities are kept quiet. Our society is incredibly small, and at least most of Europe, pulled out of mainstream stuff about three hundred years back, wiping out all records of our existence wherever we could find it."

Sirius said, a sad smile on his face as he thought about his best friends, "I was best friends with both of Harry's parents until they died when Harry was a little over a year old."

"They were the first two people the initial record had you accused of conspiring to murder." Cyborg supplied, keeping track of records with his cybernetics, as Sirius related his story.

"Yes, but I didn't do it. Another friend of ours, Peter Pettigrew betrayed their location to a dark wizard who killed them, and then tried to kill Harry too. Only when he tried something, we still haven't figured out what, it happened to blow up the dark wizard instead." Sirius explained.

Cyborg, seemed to assimilate that before he responded, "Did either of Harry's parents display the abilities he's shown?"

"No, they didn't. I had no idea at all." Sirius said, rightfully assuming that Cyborg was asking about the non-magical abilities. "I had no idea about Harry's dad secret until a few weeks ago,"

"What secret is that?" Cyborg inquired evenly.

"Well, until Harry told me a few weeks ago, I had no idea that James' biological father was an alien or at least had a father who claimed to be. He never said anything about it and all the years around him, I never saw anything… alien-y." Sirius sounded slightly frustrated.

"Alien-y?" Cyborg echoed with an amused chuckle.

"Yeah… you know… I'm pretty sure Harry was born the normal way, no like… face sucker alien thing involved. They might have been kinky but I'm pretty sure Lil's wouldn't have stood for that," Sirius gestured wildly with his hands, "James never asked anything really bizarre either, or asked me to take him to my leader or tried to phone home or something."

Cyborg just stared at him. He wasn't even certain where to start unravelling that comment. He shook his head slightly, and resolved to leave that comment for later. He held up his hand forestalling further comments there, and went back to the one point he did manage to get from Sirius, "So, Harry's grandfather was of an extraterrestrial race?"

"According to Harry after he spoke to his parents," Sirius replied.

"I thought his parents were dead," Cyborg replied, sounding confused.

"They are," Sirius sighed, a trace of frustration entered his voice, "A few months ago, Harry ended up in… a bad situation and apparently had a… brush with death. According to him he met his parents there."

"Ah, I see." Cyborg stated quietly.

Sirius looked up sharply, surprised at the easy acceptance "You… see? You don't think that's crazy?"

"After some of the things I've seen, and some of the experiences myself or my friends have had. I have learned not to rule anything out," Cyborg replied evenly. "I didn't even believe in souls at one point, but the young lady, Raven, you encountered briefly? She can actually _see_ souls. So I have learned to keep an open mind."

"Huh," Sirius replied, looking more than a little relieved, "Well… I actually had more problem with the fact that Harry also came back from that experience claiming that God was a woman."

Cyborg blinked once and couldn't help it, he actually laughed, "Not the first time I've heard that." He shook his head before he doggedly focused back on the topic, "So, he believes his grandfather was an extraterrestrial race?"

"Yes, at least that's what he claimed his parents told him, and also according to the journal Harry has of his grandmother," Sirius replied, "An alien from another... place even, though he looked just like us."

"Do you happen to know the name of the extra-terrestrial race his grandfather claimed to be?" Cyborg asked, his voice once more intent, not really understanding what Sirius meant by 'other place'.

"I haven't the least sodding clue," Sirius frowned, "Ask Harry, he might be able to tell you, I haven't pried too deeply, but I'm not sure he knows."

"I asked him if he was Kryptonian and he said he didn't know one way or the other, so he was either holding back or he doesn't know, either." Cyborg's voice was filled with doubt as well.

"Hey, I try to keep up, but some of the details pass me by," Sirius responded with a trace of defensiveness in his voice, "I've been more focused on him 'flying faster and higher than I can see' and 'can break trees in half' a bit more than any specific family history lessons the past few weeks with him."

"History was always my worst subject, anyway," Sirius mused, "The teacher was dead boring - literally, he was a ghost - and I spent more time in that class perfecting my innate ability to identify a girl's measurements with only a glance, than I did worrying about what was being taught."

"Though, I should point out, that in Britain, there are laws out there against even discussing what I am with you right now. You'd get mind-wiped, and I'd get chucked right back in that prison I escaped from." Sirius said blandly.

"That… is disturbing," Victor hedged.

"Right, and the gits have no sense of humor," Sirius shrugged, "They've been avoiding the mundane world for centuries. According to our admittedly revisionist government, wizards have been hunted, experimented on, and made outcasts every time we've stepped out and tried to 'help' normals."

"Our governments are typically staffed by about 60 to 70% with people whose jobs revolve entirely around keeping our world secret. The rest are a combination of administrators, law enforcement, and worthless idiots who are poster children for nepotism. Usually a combination of all three." Sirius explained, realizing that he was getting into more detail than Cyborg probably want he cut himself off though the part man part robot seemed nothing less than very interested.

"Then how does someone like Raven exist outside of their oversight?" Cyborg asked after a moment's thought, "Hell, I know more than a dozen magic users, some very public ones. Dr. Fate, Zatanna… Jason Blood is even from England, just to name a few."

"They do their magic publically, and the world knows of its existence… shouldn't they have been hunted down for revealing magic to the normal people?" Cyborg followed up.

Sirius blinked at the names, "Well, besides not even knowing of Raven's existence before today, I have no clue who Zatar or any of those other people are."

Victor flinched at the mangling of the sorceress's name.

"Apparently much of the rest of the world outside little pockets of Europe, either flat out doesn't care, or at best only loosely pays lip service to the Statute of Secrecy, and our own little segment of the world is pretty insular as it is. They're not really aware of the outside world much." Sirius replied honestly, "I doubt many know what a TV is. Much less anything beyond that."

Cyborg nodded slowly, appreciating the expanded view that Sirius was providing him, of the world he describe. He was going to be forwarding this information to Batman and possibly Zatanna, and John Constantine as well, "Is there anything you could tell me about Harry's grandfather? His abilities? What he looked like? How he ended up here? Anything?"

Sirius looked up curiously at the question.

Cyborg gestured at the wall where Harry's scan hung. "Over the course of my life, I've run into a very wide range of alien races, and I have friends that have run into far more than I. With more information I may be able to supply you with more information."

Sirius held up his hand, "Wait… you've met a wide range of aliens? Like… _real_ aliens?"

Cyborg nodded slowly, "Yes, I've personally had contact with… oh… over a hundred different races of aliens." His head's up display gave him an exact number but he felt no need to be that specific when speaking to Sirius.

Sirius sagged back against the wall looking at Cyborg in a combination of relief and disbelief, "Have you… met any like Harry?"

Cyborg rolled his good eye, "At least half a dozen that share similar traits. Truthfully, my first suspicion is that he is a Kryptonian, which displays a lot of the same power sets that he has, flight, durability, and strength, though you'd be surprised how common those abilities can be among non-terrestrial forms. Though it's his ability to set fire to things that lends the greatest credence to that theory."

"So… you know others, like him?" Sirius asked slowly,

"If by like him, you mean similar powers, yes. If you mean of the same race… possibly." Cyborg added before Sirius could dive into the questions, "However, not everything fits, which is why I was hoping for some clarification on things from you."

Sirius nodded slowly, and then ran a hand through his goatee, "Well, like I told you, that according to a journal and the spirits of Harry's parents… the person was stranded here from what he believed was another dimension in the late fifties. Um, Harry mentioned that he supposedly looked human. His grand mum apparently didn't even know he was alien at first. He was large and muscular and I think Harry mentioned having dark hair."

Cyborg processed those comments. Nothing that he said was really helpful in narrowing anything down.

"Truth be told, it sounded like the guy was simply biding his time before one of his people found him and picked him up," Sirius shook his head slightly, "He spent a portion of that time with James' mum. Then apparently one night, he disappeared in a flash."

Cyborg nodded a bit, overall it was particularly unhelpful when it came to things related to Kryptonians. He had expected it was possible the man was hiding things from him, but it seemed like the man was being surprisingly forthright with him. However, the details behind the events certainly would not have surprised him given how many obscure places the alien species had cropped up. He knew he would have to do more research, and also knew that procuring a piece of Kryptonite and shoving it in the youth's face was probably going to be more than a little counterproductive, unless approached carefully.

Sirius wasn't looking at Cyborg while the man ruminated on what he had just been told. Instead he was looking up closely at the body scan that was on the wall, his eyes moving over it and when he spoke his voice was bland, "Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm being so honest."

Cyborg nodded slightly, "The thought had occurred to me. I kind of doubt you're one to blurt out the private details of your life or Harry's to just anyone."

"Depends on how much fire whiskey I've had and how attractive the woman asking the questions is, or a combination of the two," Sirius replied with a smile, although his attempted smile was strained. When Cyborg didn't reply, just looked at him expectantly, he decided to move on.

"I want to know what you can tell me, did you learn anything about Harry?" Sirius gestured at all the machines all around them, "I'm nowhere near an expert. I mean I can do healing spells, its required learning as an auror but anything beyond the basics of healing injuries and curing curses is beyond me. The Goblins said his body was different and they had no idea what to make of their attempts to understand his powers, since it didn't seem magical."

Sirius took a breath realizing he had started to ramble a little bit, "Did you learn anything about him with all this fancy equipment? Is he okay?"

Cyborg regarded Sirius, and could hear the sincerity in his tone. It was more than just sincerity, the man was truly concerned for his godson and worried about his wellbeing. Given the straightforwardness the man had acted with, Victor decided that he should return the man's courtesy in kind.

"I admit, I did not find out nearly as much as I'd like," Victor answered as he stepped up to the large monitor that had so caught Sirius attention.

He pointed at the skeleton. "That's Harry."

Sirius turned once more and stared at the large monitor again, giving it his full attention.

"Those colored clouds you see?" Cyborg asked, unnecessarily, as the red haze was over most of his skeletal structure, "It is some form of energy. At first I suspected radiation, possibly of the kryptonite variety. But it's definitely not that. I have no idea what it is."

That wasn't quite true anymore, Cyborg thought as his eyes moved over the form. After what the two had shown, he had theorized that it was this form of energy they utilized that they called 'magic.' He just wasn't going to theorize aloud that without knowing more.

"Whatever it is, is hard for me to get detailed scans on his internal organs, circulatory and nervous system. I _can_ get the basics of his skeletal structure because his bones are _incredibly_ dense, but even that took repeated scans. But as far as anything more than basic details on internal organs or anything? Useless."

"The blood sample I took is even more useless. I couldn't get a needle to penetrate his skin, which is fairly standard for Kryptonian physiology, so I had to take an external sample from his skin. But it might as well have been colored water." Cyborg couldn't prevent a bit of frustration slipping into his voice.

Sirius looked at him blankly before realization crossed his features gave a massive dog-like bark of laughter, "By Merlin, it worked. Never should've doubted the blighters."

Victor gave him an incredulous look at the sudden mood shift,

Sirius saw the look and smiled wryly as he explained, "Goblins. A race of warriors turned bankers who apparently enjoy a hobby of screwing over Wizards. Harry had some blood forcibly taken from him a few months back in order to help resurrect a Dark Lord. The one Harry has already beaten a handful of times."

"After disposing of said Dark Lord, _again_ , Harry was still rather miffed that they could use his blood for something. When he mentioned that to the goblins they offered a ritual that basically requires Harry to consent, without any sort of magical coercion, for anyone to successfully take his blood."

Victor considered this, once more realizing he wasn't the first person whose blood was used by someone else for nefarious purposes. Raven being the biggest example. He wondered if she might be interested in such a ritual. It didn't help his analysis since the emergence of another Kryptonian would be big news. Unfortunately, without the blood, he'd not be able to provide definitive answers.

However, it brought his focus to another point. "That brings me to another question for you."

Sirius turned from the monitor to Cyborg with an inquisitive look.

"What exactly can you tell me about what your charge has been through?" asked Victor.

Sirius just looked nonplussed at the question, and met Cyborg's eye unflinchingly in his reply, "What are you talking about?"

Victor actually couldn't tell if Sirius was being honest, but given that he still seemed sincere, he decided to elaborate

"Let's start with the scars," Cyborg said as he mentally changed the image that the monitor was displaying. It showed a high resolution picture of Harry's bare chest while he had been laying in the bed. Underneath the bruising on his chest, the strips of scars were there. For emphasis, Cyborg had the monitor begin to highlight the different areas of scar tissue he had detected.

"This is especially startling given the fact that his body healed at an impressive rate, one that seemed to increase when he regained consciousness." Victor reflected that the healing pace certainly picked up, but that could have been to the regeneration healing internal issues first. "You saw him when he left, none of the burns or the bruising seems to be leaving much lingering marks, much less permanent ones. But you clearly see all these scars. They cover nearly sixty five percent of his torso. Though the injuries themselves seem to indicate years of healing."

Cyborg didn't expand but that many scars worried him, as they seemed to vary shape size and seemed to defy normal scars as they showed no tendency to follow the musculature on Harry's body. Cyborg froze as he noticed a change come over Sirius.

Sirius had stilled completely. There was no trace of emotion on his face as he began to speak, "Harry was in a battle a few months ago. He was forced to participate in a tournament for adults by the Headmaster of his magical school. He was kidnapped during the final part of the tournament and when he managed to free himself he was attacked. The scars on his torso are from that experience. That scar that's so prominent on his forehead supposedly comes from being hit by a dark spell when the dark lord attempted to kill him when he was a baby."

"A baby?" Victor echoed.

"Yeah, hit him with a spell to kill him but it caused an explosion that killed the dark bastard instead," Sirius replied, "Or at least destroyed his body."

"And that explosion caused the internal injuries too?" Cyborg asked,

"Internal injuries?" Sirius echoed, sounding puzzled, "I don't think so, he was conscious when I picked him up from the ruins, and I did a normal first aid check. Lots of dark magic but other than the wound on his forehead, there wasn't any other injuries at the time."

"Well, as I mentioned the one thing our scans _can_ see are his bones, so when I was looking at his skeleton, I noticed signs of multiple healed fractures and breaks in his bones throughout his body. It's hard to tell given his ability to heal, but if I'm reading this right, most date back easily far longer than a few months, and occurred over different time periods." Cyborg's eyes flickered at the image started to highlight different parts of the bones on the wall.

Seeing Sirius' puzzled look Cyborg expanded, "Some of the members of our small community, other heroes if you will have scans from time to time. Their bodies experience trauma over the course of years, and shows the results of that trauma. After scars, bones tend to be the best history of the use and abuse a body has taken."

"Harry's body shows similar signs. Though curiously the right arm is the only section that doesn't have some sort of fracture history, though that's detracted by the large scar puncturing his elbow." Cyborg explained.

"If he were a normal human I'd say the damage happened over the course of years… and given the vague estimates of Harry's bone density my scans were able to put together, the type of force required to break that many bones would have been significant. However if it was magical…"

Cyborg's voice trailed off. He considered himself fairly proficient at reading subtle changes in expression, something enhanced by his cybernetics. He had watched as Sirius listened to his explanation of the injuries Harry had. His expression had gone from puzzled, to outright confused, to disbelief and after a look of realization, Sirius was suddenly giving off a very _very_ angry vibe.

Of course, even if he wasn't fairly experienced at reading people, a pretty good hint to Sirius' mood was that several of the machines started to flicker and fluctuate and one of the glass in the smaller monitors literally shattered outward.

Victor's eyes rose in surprise as his cybernetics informed him that they were getting some sort of energy interference. Nothing that his sensors was able to measure or read, but they actively recorded the impact the unknown energy form was having on his systems. It wasn't anywhere near the level that it might cause a problem with functionality, but the presence of such energy in reaction to Sirius mood was definitely something to note for later investigation.

Startled by the shattering of the glass in the monitor, it was enough for Sirius to gather control of himself. He took a breath to control himself from lashing out, before he looked up. His voice was the voice of someone who was struggling to control said anger. His voice came out in a cold and flat tone, "Those… those _fuckers."_

Cyborg glanced around in surprise as several of the machines nearby continued to flicker. He shook his head. "Mr. Black. Please calm down."

Sirius looked up sharply and then took several more deep breaths. Slowly he brought his anger under control. He took out his wand and waved it at the monitor that had broken. The monitor reassembled itself and physically looked the same as normal, though the screen still flickered in response.

Sirius shook his head slightly, as he tried to put a cap on his suddenly towering rage, but when he spoke he was able to do so rationally, "That toughness you're talking about… only recently emerged. Before that he could be physically injured just like any normal human, though like most wizards he recovered faster."

"I see you understand my concern regarding the number and type of injuries I'm seeing. I'm just trying to get an idea of what he went through." Cyborg said quietly. The reaction of the man in front of him was one that could not be faked. Victor almost expected his eyes to start glowing like Raven's when she was upset somehow.

Sirius looked at him for a long moment, his expression intense as if determining just how trustworthy the part man part robot was before he seemed to just deflate, and put his head in his hands, "I had no idea how bad it was."

At Victor's incredulous look, Sirius explains, "I'm not sure if you caught what I said earlier, but I wasn't there for twelve years after Harry's parents were murdered. I got chucked into prison without a trial by people who wanted control of him."

When Victor simply regarded him evenly before raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Sirius tried guessing at the implied question, "No, they had no clue of Harry's alien grandpa. Harry's rather important politically in our little segment of the magical world. I've come to suspect that me being around to raise him wasn't in certain people's plans, I guess."

Sirius had had a lot of time to think about this and the more he thought about, the angrier he had gotten at Dumbledore. It was a good thing Sirius had promised, after a bit of badgering from Harry that he would not go back to Britain again. Otherwise he knew that he might end up back in Azkaban for murder, again.

This time for one he actually committed; of the Chief Warlock and Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Sirius shook his head away from those thoughts and turned his head, looking around the room until his gaze fell on a random console that had a series of seemingly random blinking lights that he couldn't begin to comprehend. However it gave him something to focus on while he spoke. "All I know is the tiny bit he'll tell me, and that little bit isn't pretty."

He looked up from the console to look Victor square in his human eye, "I knew his home life sucked, but I had no idea how bad, and Harry refuses to go after them or let me go after them."

"We made a clean break from England, both of us getting all our family assets out of the country for the most part, so there's no real reason for us to ever go back," Sirius summed up.

"So that's what you're doing here?" Victor inquired. At Sirius' inquisitive look, the machine man gestured, indicating not just the tower, but the world outside it as well, "In America, I mean."

Sirius nodded slowly. "Yeah. I needed to get him out of Britain, but didn't want him to turn into a hermit on my private island either. Technically, this was supposed to be the start of a random vacation for us, a world tour so to speak."

"So you brought him to Metropolis," Victor said, sounding unsurprised as it was a hyper-modern city and a high level tourist destination.

"Heh, yeah," Sirius nodded, "I figured a vacation might do him some good. Before going to my island, Harry had never even had time to truly look at the ocean before, much less left Britain. But we had no real plans for ourselves. I sort of hoped Harry would find things that catch his interest."

His tone turned to one of exasperation, "I did not think that his interests would include him getting beaten up and saving people's lives. But… He's a Potter, so I guess I can't be too surprised. His dad was the same way. His mum too for that matter."

Sirius sighed and then shook his head once more, "You didn't really answer my question though. Is he okay?"

Cyborg glanced back at the monitors, as he considered Sirius question in the context with which it was asked, "I'm not certain."

"He took quite a beating tonight," Cyborg explained, "Solomon Grundy is a familiar foe whose strength and intelligence seems to vary at times. But he is pretty much pure brute strength. Harry received a fair amount of blows from him before setting him on fire and throwing him."

"However, while the bruising and damage was extensive, including at least 3 broken bones when he arrived. He recovered very quickly, the bones were nearly knitted by the time I managed to get a detailed scan, though you can see where they broke," Cyborg gestured at the large monitor, "As you saw yourself, even the bruising was mostly gone by the time he walked out of the room. I'm nearly positive it will be gone by this point."

Sirius nodded slowly, a look of relief crossing his face, "Well, that's good at least."

"That brings me to my next question, on a different topic," Cyborg stated quietly. "This one doesn't really have anything to do with Harry. More to do with you."

"Oh?" Sirius asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Does the name Manchester Black mean anything to you?" Cyborg inquired.

 **oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo**

Harry was walking with Cassie where she directed, letting her lead them both toward the kitchen. However it was Raven that struck up the conversation. Her curiosity was clearly evident even to someone who was so calm and impassive most of the time.

"You're magical?" She asked without any trace of decorum or subtlety.

Cassie shot her a look of irritation, knowing that some, or most, people were put off by her directness. Something which was generally seen as rudeness, but was as much a product of Raven's upbringing as it was her own personality. Casual chit chat was not really something stressed in the place she grew up.

"Yeah, among other things." Harry chuckled softly at the inquiry and at Cassie's reaction to it. Given that his two best friends were each incredibly blunt albeit in slightly different ways, Raven's to the point inquiry didn't bother him in the slightest.

"Are you one of the Magi?" Raven asked, heedless of Cassie's response to her first inquiry. She just followed up with another question by listing the biggest group of magic users she was aware of on earth.

Harry looked at the dark purple haired girl with a puzzled frown, "I… don't think that I've ever heard that term before."

He took his time examining her, now he was no longer worried about her blasting or smashing or hexing Dobby or whatever it was that she did. Her skin was extremely pale, but a few shades shy of being white, and her hair, being a straight midnight fall that ended near her lower back, had the odd purple-ish that seemed much lighter when the light struck it in certain ways. She was certainly different from the blonde on Harry's other side, but no less attractive. There was something almost haunted about her eyes, though, an inner darkness Harry felt that a part of him could relate to, even if he couldn't quite put his finger on it, much less understand it.

"Magi," Raven repeated, "or to use the full term for them, 'Homo Magi'."

"Please, for the love of Merlin," Harry held up his hands with a stricken look on his face, "Never, _ever_ ask that around Sirius. The amount of comments and jokes he would make about it is… astronomical. He would either claim there was no way he was one, or that it was obvious to him that our old Headmaster _was._ "

Cassie rolled her eyes, a bit of genuine irritation in her tone, "Yeah, that sort of joke is _real_ mature."

"I'm sorry… did something about Sirius' behavior imply _any_ level of maturity?" Harry asked dryly. "The man-child still thinks that anytime anyone uses the word 'serious' in a sentence, it is fertile ground for a joke. No matter how old the jokes get. And I've only been around him a few months."

Cassandra snorted a bit, she had seen their display in there and had to admit that out of the two of them, Harry had seemed more mature.

"Then again, it can be fun at times too," Harry said with a smile.

Though he might complain about Sirius' perceived lack of maturity, he had to admit it was almost a relief too. Someone who didn't care about standing out or being abnormal, or controlling every facet of his life. His godfather's attitude was practically forcing Harry to crack out of his shell, and enjoy himself at times.

"Magi are humans who are naturally capable of wielding magic on a level most will never grasp. People like Zatanna Zatara, or her younger cousin Zachary." Raven interjected picking up the thread of the conversation, not wanting to let it go that easily. Though the tone of her voice became a touch colder as she mentioned the latter name.

"Still doesn't help," Harry replied, he ran his hand through his scruffy hair. "Though… given the distinctive alliteration in her name, I wouldn't be entirely surprised… if we were one and the same."

He looked at Raven as a thought struck him, "Do they use wands?"

She glanced at him with expectation, "No, well... I mean I've seen Zatanna occasionally use one but usually not…"

"Well, wizards and witches from where I'm from use wands," Harry answered somewhat deprecatingly as they stepped inside an elevator, "And incantations."

"Do the incantations involve saying the words backwards in cantrips?" Raven ventured.

"Err… no. It involves Latin," Harry replied and then scrunched his nose, "Well, according to my best friend, it's badly mangled Latin. Though that may not be necessary. I also get the impression that the stronger you are, the less you need the incantation and wand movements."

"Oh…" Raven replied, trailing off, as the dump of information was so different than anything she was expecting.

Harry noticed that the shadowy girl didn't really know anything at all about his kind of magic, so he offered a bit more in the hopes she would explain what she knew from her own experience in more detail. "I have learned that the people in charge where I came from don't have history per se, so much as a horribly biased and bigoted system of propaganda and indoctrination trying to pass itself off as history."

"Most of it seems to be all about the supremacy of being able to trace your ancestry back a certain number of generations," Harry continued, "And the further back you can trace it, the more of an arrogant prick you become."

Raven considered what she knew of the Magi she'd encountered. For every Zatanna, they had meant they seemed to have to deal with at least five villainously inclined Magi. "That doesn't sound too far off, actually," she muttered.

Harry glanced at her, and muttered, "Mental note: don't purposely meet them any time soon."

"That would likely be wise," stated Raven in a monotone voice.

"All joking aside, it sounds like there are some differences, but that doesn't mean I'm right." Harry felt himself compelled to admit, "I'm pretty disgusted with all things in the so-called 'Wizarding World' at the moment."

Raven stared at him. "That sounds almost exactly like Homo Magi," she stated. "Admittedly, they generally have a wider variety of focus types, but otherwise…" she trailed off, deep in thought. "An offshoot of the rest of the Magi, perhaps?" she offered tentatively.

"Possibly." Harry shrugged. "Like I said, I'm hardly the authority. Merlin was apparently one of ours. And we also have ties into cleaning up the tombs of Egypt through the Goblins before the non-magicals can go near them. Near as I can tell, the established 'Magical World' I'm part of can trace its way back into the ancient kingdoms of Egypt. But you'd probably have to find someone who actually taught and knew history to give you a better idea."

He grinned a little bit and decided to turn the questioning around on the purple haired girl, "So, what's your story?"

 **oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo**

Sirius was staring up at an image on another monitor. Displayed was an image of a man dressed in a dark black trench coat, very similar to the one he was wearing, and had a similar build, though the man was probably taller. Though the similarities mostly stopped there.

The man's shirt was a picture of the Union Jack. Though Sirius squinted and couldn't tell if it was a shirt or an actual tattoo on the man's chest. He also had dark purple hair, and the expression on his face was truly enraged, seeming to carry a level of innate cruelty to it.

"That… looks a lot like my uncle Cygnus only younger. I mean _a lot_ like. As in they could be twins. Though he died fifteen years ago." Sirius said slowly, "And he wouldn't be caught dead in clothes like that."

"As I said, his name is Manchester Black. An extremely skilled telekinetic and telepath." Cyborg explained, at Sirius' blank look, he expanded a bit, "Able to move things with his mind, and control minds, good with illusions too."

"Huh," Sirius responded eloquently, though his expression was narrowed in thought.

"He isn't the nicest guy. Antagonized a friend of ours, Superman and attempted to kill him, mostly because of his moral stances." Cyborg summarized quickly.

"Well… that certainly sounds familiar. But I've never met him." Sirius responded with a shake of his head. "Though I guess it's possible that my uncle had a kid he never told anyone about. Hell I'd be surprised if he didn't. Wouldn't be the first time that happened in a pureblood family. But I can't really tell you anything else about him."

Cyborg nodded and without so much as twitching the monitor shut off at his mental command. "Very well, the question now is, what is your plan for Harry going forward?"

Sirius turned defensive as he looked at Cyborg suspiciously, "Why? What business is it of yours?"

"It's… not. Not really." Cyborg admitted plainly, "However he _did_ help my friends at risk to himself, so I can't help but be a little bit concerned for him."

Abruptly Sirius pushed away from the wall, "I don't know!" His frustration boiling forward suddenly. "I'm just trying to do what's best for him, but I don't have a fucking clue what that is. He only had two friends before we left. And while they're still friends it's not like either of them knows what he's trying to deal with. I sure as fuck don't."

Sirius was gesticulating emphatically, "I've been winging it. That whole bantering thing you saw? That's the most normal he's acted since I've seen him and I've had to push him into doing it."

"Two months ago, Harry barely argued with me over anything! What to do, what to talk about, even what to eat. He was so damned timid." Sirius shook his head, "The only time he seemed to set himself against anything was when he was defending his friends from joking comments I made."

"I got tired of it after a few days and started provoking him until he finally poked back," Sirius shook his head ruefully, "Of course the first time he poked back it was during dinner. He pushed away from the table in anger, sent the table right through the wall. He barely even realized it, he started arguing back until the argument got so silly they were both left speechless."

"After that start, he loosened up a bit, and we've kept going like that. I figured, what the hell, if it works." Sirius shrugged, "It became a sort of game for the two of us. At least now he talks back and gives as good as he gets. It's progress."

"Progress is as good as I got right now, and I'm all he's got right now. He doesn't trust most of his old schoolmates, save for two. He sure as fuck isn't going to turn to his relatives. They're apparently almost as bad as my relatives." Sirius shook his head, "Even my cousins, the Tonks', who seem to be the only ones who aren't batshit insane, are a bit sympathetic to Dumbledore."

"And my only remaining friend is Remus Lupin," Sirius scowled a little bit, "Someone Harry has _**zero**_ interest in talking to or spending time with. He made his feelings clear on that two weeks ago when I first floated the idea. Once I'd cleared away the debris that used to be the _second_ kitchen table."

Sirius tone changed, becoming clear that he was imitating Harry, "'One year where he teaches me to cast one damn spell. Useful as it is, doesn't make up for twelve bloody years ignoring me, then managing to forget his wolfsbane on the night Pettigrew escaped and your name would have been cleared. Drinking it would have taken five bloody seconds. Then when I need him in the tournament, where is he? Who the fuck knows? You had an entire country searching for you and still managed to talk to me. Him? 'Boo fucking hoo, I'm a werewolf and people know so I won't hang around or help.' So no. No interest in having him along.'"

Sirius slumped and ran a hand through his hair, "And I can hardly blame the kid."

Cyborg had listened to the entire rant attentively and after Sirius wound down he asked quietly. "Feel better?"

"A little yes." Sirius sighed and then slumped back, leaning against the foot of the bed Harry had laid in. "I just want to do what's best for him, and I have no idea what that is. I'm just so far out of my depth here."

Cyborg regarded him thoughtfully. "Well, I might be able to help."

Sirius looked up at him inquisitively and immediately suspiciously. "How?"

Cyborg smiled, "Let me tell you about the Teen Titans."

 **oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo**

"Wait… like… Zeus and the pantheon… and all those mythological beings… those _gods_?" Harry asked as they were walking.

Cassie snorted a bit in amusement. She had taken over the conversation as they headed towards the kitchen. She knew Raven was still self-conscious about her own history, and just blurting it out wasn't something she'd ever do. So she had started to talk to Harry about her own history, given that it was far more public than anyone else's. "Yes, as in the Greek gods."

"They're not the only pantheon that exists either," Cassie explained, "Most pantheons are rooted somewhere in factual history. They still exist in this present day."

"Well, that's not much of a surprise I guess. If one was real why couldn't others be?" Harry mused thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" Cassie asked, glancing over at him.

"I already knew God was real. She was nice enough to let me talk to my parents when I died for a little bit a few months back," Harry responded almost absently. He completely missed the shocked and skeptical looks on the faces of his two companions. "So if she existed, why not other gods, or devils or things of that nature?"

Cassie glanced at Raven whose expression had gotten hard, but didn't reply. Cassie spoke for both of them, "Demons are very _very_ real as well. Believe me."

Any further conversation was cut off, as the sounds of a loud argument reached them. Harry looked curious but Raven and Cassie seemed to simultaneously sigh.

As they rounded the corner, Harry found himself staring at was clearly an industrial sized kitchen, with several large stoves, plentiful counter and cupboard space and what looked like at least three large freezers. However that wasn't what caught his attention.

His gaze was drawn by three people. A female in a red outfit, one with blonde hair was yelling at a teen Harry guessed to be slightly younger than himself.

The one doing the yelling, whom Harry could only see from the back, had her hair was up in a blonde ponytail. Her outfit seemed to be dark red, save for armguards and leg guards, which were a metallic yellow.

A teen that was dressed in bright red and yellow. Harry thought that next to Cyborg, he was by far the most bizarrely dressed person here. His lower half of his body was mostly red, save for below the knees which favored yellow boots. His upper body was the same yellow coloring, as the boots, and it seemed to stretch up to his face and cover around the side of his head and the area around his eyes while leaving his jaw and his hair free. The outfit also had two yellow lightning bolts sticking out the side of his head. Harry had no idea what to think about that little tidbit.

"Damnit, Bart! We had just finished cooking that!" She crossed her arms and glared at the younger boy who only seemed moderately perturbed.

"Sorry, Speedy. I was starving! I spent the last few hours running all over the country to track down everything!" The young teen protested, holding his hands up as he took a step back. Though the amusement on his face made it clear he didn't seem too broken up about it.

"We had just spent two hours on that," spoke the other woman, who was still wearing her orange and blue outfit, minus the mask. He remembered thinking her outfit bore a strong resemblance to one of the people the group had been fighting earlier. He wondered if she was older given that she didn't have a headpiece or mask on but that her hair was snow white and up in a ponytail, "And you just scarfed our dinner down!"

Cassie sighed like a person well used to this sort of behavior and stepped forward, with her arms crossed, "Bart… you know better than that."

That drew the attention of all three people in the kitchen who turned around and gave their attention to the new arrivals.

Harry tilted his head, as he examined the two who had been facing away from him. The blonde in red looked at him with wary expression in her eyes. Harry noted she had a mask that covered just her eyes but did little to hide the rest of her face, though she certainly appeared attractive from what he could see.

Her companion's appearance was far more startling. She was definitely not an older woman, instead she was another teenager, and the only thing she had on her face was a white patch over her left eye. She also was spinning a knife slowly in her hand.

Before anyone could say anything else. Harry was bombarded by questions, at a rapid pace, "Who are you? Who is he? Why are you here?" Where are you from? What are you doing? What's your name? Do I know you?"

Accompanying those questions, there was a whirlwind of blurred motion around him, as the young boy had given up all pretense of arguing with the two women and now seemed to focus completely on Harry. He appeared on Harry's left, asked a question, then blurred to Harry's right, and then behind and in front. Each question coming from a different angle.

"Did you really set fire to urrk-" The teen's chattering was cut off mid question.

Cassie had been irritated at being ignored and reached out quickly when he had stopped briefly to rapid fire another question, and grabbed the boy by the back of the neck and lifted him up, leaving his legs dangling there. "This… is Kid Flash. Also known as Bart."

"Cassie!" the aforementioned Kid Flash protested with a whine, attempting to run but unable to reach the floor to do so. He was ignored by Cassie as she gestured at the other two women,

"This is Speedy," She said indicating the blonde before she then gestured at the white haired woman, "And this is Ravager, also known as Rose."

"This is Harry," she said gesturing to Harry as way of introduction.

"Hi Harry! Where are you from? What's your superhero name? What were you doing there tonight? Thanks for helping us! Are you going to mmpph!" His barrage of questions was cut off as a dark distortion in the air appeared around his mouth seeming to make it impossible to move. Harry noticed Raven with her hand up and a glare leveled at the speedster who was still hanging in the air from Cassie's grip on his neck.

Rose looked Harry up and down as if sizing up where on his body she might find it most convenient to place the knife in her hands if she needed to.

Speedy seemed to be the first to get over the awkwardness at the silence that followed the introduction. She stepped forward and held out her hand,

Taking her hand, he seemed to be grasping it almost gingerly, as if gripping an egg. "I'm Harry Potter, and you've got _no_ idea how good it feels to actually _need_ to introduce myself."

"What do you mean?" Speedy asked, cocking her head to the side in obvious curiosity.

Harry shook his head. "I have something of a reputation back… well, it's not home anymore, but where I came from. I couldn't go anywhere public without _everyone_ , and their dog, knowing exactly who I was," he explained.

"It was horrible. I even had-" here he paused to shudder "- _fangirls._ "

"Could have been worse," Cassie contributed, and explained further at Harry's raised-eyebrow challenge. "You might have had fan _boys_."

Harry thought of the Creevey brothers and shuddered again. His voice as he replied was flat and cold. "I did. At least… I did, when I wasn't being proclaimed a murderous psycho, a liar, and a cheater. It kinda varied depending on the week."

"Yeah, we're familiar with the phenomenon." Speedy firmly shook his hand and chuckled, "Nice to meet you Harry, and thank you for your help earlier."

Harry took her hand and chuckled a little bit self-consciously, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't really do all that much if you want to know the truth."

"You helped protect the kids," Cassie interjected, "Raven too for that matter."

"Not to mention tossing Grundy like he was a spear and causing my Father to flee the scene without his goal. Something that doesn't happen often." Rose interjected, her one eyed gaze focused on Harry, intently staring at him.

"Your father?" Harry echoed with an expression of puzzlement.

"Yeah. Deathstroke. Mercenary for hire." Rose said shortly, making it clear there was no love lost there.

"Ah, right." Harry said, rubbing the back of his hair sheepishly, not knowing what else to say.

Speedy rolled her eyes and then fixed her glare back on the still hanging and muffled Bart, "Not to cut short our chit chat, but Bart just scarfed down our dinner slash breakfast and I'm starving. I don't feel like cooking again, and no place delivers this late."

Harry glanced around at the kitchen and over at Raven briefly and then offered hesitantly, "I… may be able to help with that."

 **oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo**

"So… they're like child soldiers." said Sirius, his tone was neutral but his expression was less than impressed with what he had just been told.

Cyborg shook his head, "Not at all."

"Using teenagers' with hero complexes, or sense of responsibility, and sending them out and putting their lives at risk on a regular basis, fighting incredibly dangerous threats. That's exactly what it sounds like." Sirius countered.

"That's not it at all." Cyborg shook his head his tone was defensive, "First, some of these 'children' have been through more than most people will experience during their entire lives."

"That doesn't make it right." Sirius interjected.

"I don't disagree, but there are some things we can't help, fixing what they've been through is one of them." Cyborg said.

Sirius went to speak again but he was cut off as Cyborg barrelled on. "Second, some of these kids have nowhere else to go. This is the only home that they have."

That shut Sirius up rather effectively.

"Third, even without this team every one of them still has their hero complex, and that sense of responsibility. Every one of them would still be out there doing what they do. Only then, they're alone, fighting by themselves. Most of the time without backup or someone to bail them out of trouble. Sometimes without even training, simply left to their own devices." Cyborg's tone was firm as he continued. "Not to mention that some of them have enemies or people that want them for purposes best described as less than benevolent."

Sirius crossed his arms, well aware of how close some of that fell to what his own godson had experienced.

Cyborg's voice which had been stern, and slowly rising in intensity softened. "Finally, out there, they have to pretend to be people they're not. Unable to be themselves, always hiding abilities and skills. This team gives them others who know at least part of what they're going through. Something Harry could probably use."

"Oh, you have kids who know what it's like to be raised in isolation in order to be used as a weapon against a Dark Lord?" Sirius said sarcastically, vividly remembering one of the conclusions they had drawn regarding Dumbledore's actions toward him.

"For that specific, purpose, no." Cyborg shook his head, but cut off Sirius as he opened his mouth to reply. "But raised as a weapon? Currently… we have three actually, two members and one subsidiary member. People who were raised purely to be weapons in one form or another. I won't go into more specifics, because it is their story to tell. But, in that regard, he certainly would not be alone here."

Sirius was taken aback by Cyborg's blunt statement.

Cyborg shrugged a little bit, and reiterated, "We give them a place to be themselves, with other people who may understand. People who can help and support them, and have their backs when they do go leaping into dangerous situations because that's who they are."

Sirius sighed and looked over his hands, as he debated those words.

Cyborg said nothing, not wanting to interrupt his thoughts, and knew that saying anything else would just be pushing.

"No. I appreciate the offer." Sirius finally said after more than a minute of consideration. He shook his head and gestured around, "But I promised Harry a vacation. To learn about having fun, to enjoy himself. Not be pushed into being a hero again."

He held up his hand to cut off Cyborg's protest, "I know, you don't push them, but it's in Harry's nature. He wouldn't be able to just stand aside. It's practically obligating him."

"Even if he's around people his own age who have a chance of understanding him?" Cyborg questioned.

Sirius shook his head, after hesitating far longer than he was comfortable with, "Even then."

Cyborg examined the man's features, and could tell he wasn't as certain in his conviction as his tone would indicate. But also knew enough about people that pushing would do him absolutely no good.

 **oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo**

Sirius and Cyborg descended in the elevator. When they exited the elevator, they both stopped to find quite the sight.

A group of teens gathered around a counter island with plates in front of them and a stove, with over half a dozen burners being utilized. Both Cyborg and Sirius stopped in their tracks, albeit for different reasons.

Cyborg stopped because all of the pans and skillets were moving on their own. Ingredients were adding themselves and seem to float through the air at random.

Sirius stopped because he caught a glimpse of Harry, sitting on a stool amongst the five other teens. He was talking with the blond girl Sirius had seen him leave with earlier, and they had arrived just in time for Sirius to see Harry grin and actually laugh at something the girl had said.

Sirius wasn't sure what was said, but it clearly caused the brown haired boy in red and yellow to pout theatrically for all of a second before he returned to focusing on the meal being cooked in front of them, still bouncing hyperactively in his seat.

As Victor moved further into the area, their arrival seemed to draw the attention of the group and it was the same blonde who spoke up seeing them, "Hey Victor, Mr. Black, you want to join us for an early breakfast?"

Victor didn't answer immediately, as he was still trying to figure out what was going on with the pots and pans.

"Don't call me Mr. Black… Makes me sound like… Well someone I'm not. Sirius is fine." Sirius on the other hand understood what was happening and slid up onto a stool that was free with relative ease. "Sure, you got ingredients for eggs, sunny side up, with some toast and sausage?"

There was no verbal response, however another pan joined the others on the stove, the burning flaring to life as eggs seemed to crack themselves over the pan.

"Thanks, Dobby." Sirius said, having definitely learned his lesson after the last scolding from Harry at taking the diminutive being for granted.

A few moments later, Victor sat down, somewhat hesitantly, asking mid-air for some basic scrambled eggs.

Kid Flash spoke up, "Cyborg we have got to get us a Dobby! This is sooo cool! Why can't you do anything cool like this with magic Raven?"

Raven merely rolled her eyes slightly, and after only a second the hyperactive teen was once more focused on the flying pans and trying to spot Dobby actually at work

Sirius watched and kept mostly quiet as he watched Harry talk to Raven on one side and Cassie, he remembered belatedly, on his other side. They were asking him questions, and he was answering, asking questions of his own.

While it was nice, what drew Sirius' attention most of all how at ease he seemed. Far more than any time since they left the island and were around people again.

The meal was a lighthearted affair with each Titan introducing themselves but otherwise content to let conversation flow relatively easily. Though he did note that the white haired who identified herself as Ravager barely spoke unless dragged into a conversation and continually spun the knife between her fingers.

He was dragged out of his thoughts when Cassie turned to address him, "So, did Cyborg convince you to stick around for a while?"

When Victor narrowed his eye at her, she shrugged unrepentantly, "What? He obviously fits right in and you're not _that_ subtle."

Sirius shook his head slightly, his reply not coming as easily as it had been when he had been speaking to Cyborg alone. He looked at Harry for a moment, trying to gauge his thoughts.

Harry met Sirius' eyes, and a puzzled expression covered his face at the hesitation in his godfather's face. However Sirius was saved from answering immediately by a flash of orange light.

Everyone turned and looked up to see an orange skinned woman in a purple outfit settle down on the ground. Along with her orange skin, her hair was full and a fiery red easily reaching down past her waist. Her armor, such as it was, left very little to the imagination. It was purple, with gauntlets and boots that reached all the way up to her mid thighs. The main piece of the outfit however was far more exposed than anything Harry had seen yet.

It consisted of two strips of armor running vertically down her chest, leaving a deep valley of cleavage exposed, almost making Harry wonder if the entire purpose of the outfit was to draw everyone's attention to her chest rather than a fight they may be participating in.

Once past the almost outlandish size of her chest and how much of it was bared, Harry could focus on the smaller details of the woman. There was a red fist-sized jewel at the base of her navel. Her eyes were also quite striking, giving the young exiled Wizard a small idea of why so many people focused upon his own eyes.

The woman's eyes were a light green, but seemed to fill the entire eye, no white and no pupil, giving her an even more exotic look than her skin and hair would have otherwise.

Harry guessed she was possibly in her mid-twenties, though it was a bit difficult to determine, however he was sure that she was several years older than anyone there but Victor and Sirius. Unsure as to whether this woman was a threat, a casual glance around the room revealed that, other than Sirius, no one seemed at all startled by the new woman's appearance.

"Hey Star, any problems?" Victor asked,

"Not particularly," She responded, her expression curious as she looked from the pans that seemed to be cleaning themselves to the two new faces. "I met a friend this evening and agreed to meet up with them tomorrow as well. I decided that I might use my rooms here for the night rather than the long round trip back to the Outsider's base."

"Somehow this doesn't seem like a new kind of home automation you came up with to allow Beast Boy and Speedy to be even lazier," she commented slowly as the pans continued to move. Most of the people there showed amusement at her reaction, having had a similar one when they first saw it.

"Star, this is Sirius Black and Harry Potter, we ran into a bit of trouble tonight and Harry lent us a hand. Sirius managed to track him here afterwards," said Victor with a gesture toward the two unfamiliar faces.

"What kind of trouble?" The new arrival demanded.

"Slade, Solomon Grundy, Atomic Skull." Cassie spoke up.

"Deathstroke! What was that bastard doing?" Starfire's eyes flashed dangerously, and she lifted off the ground momentarily, as if she was ready to tear out of there and throw down right then.

"They were trying to snatch… something from Star Labs. We stopped them." Cyborg explained before turning back to the teens, "Sirius, Harry, this is Koriand'r, also known as Starfire."

She regarded the two of them with interest, and some puzzlement before Victor added, "They're _talented_ like us."

"Oh," said Starfire, with another glance towards the sink, then back towards Sirius in particular as he was the older one. Her voice turned curious, "What sort of special talents do they possess?"

Victor looked to be about to speak, but Sirius seemed completely in in his element, and even before he opened his mouth, Harry had to stop himself from palming his forehead.

"I have many _many_ talents." Sirius responded, with an obviously flirtatious tone. "I'm a wizard who is very skilled, especially with my wand."

Harry resisted the urge to groan as he instead focused on finishing his eggs. If Harry was lucky, Sirius would just get slapped. If he was unlucky… well… if Sirius was going to get them thrown out he was going to finish his breakfast first.

"Hmm," Starfire considered as her expression shifted to one that was more focused and evaluative. Harry swore it was identical to the two pinups before Sirius had managed to entice them back his hotel room. It was a look that left no doubt in Harry's mind that this Starfire was not pondering Sirius' combat abilities at the moment.

"You have a talented wand, you say?" Starfire inquired, and there was something throatier in her voice as she approached the island they were seated at.

"Well, I'm not one to brag…" Sirius grinned and met her expression, ignoring the small snort from Harry. "But women tend to say as much after some time with me. They say so on a pretty regular basis usually along with requests for repeat performances."

Harry, still a bit irked at Sirius having loud sex in their hotel room, as well as not immediately wanting to end up tossed out, or forced to follow Sirius when the older man was tossed out, couldn't resist the chance to add. "I don't know, in my experience the female company he usually keeps aren't usually the brightest bulbs. Not sure I would trust their opinions."

Starfire turned her head to regard Harry, the corner of her lips quirked upward in amusement, "Indeed… I have to confess, the standards of Earth women are different than the standards of those from Tamaran."

"Tamaran?" Sirius said the word slowly, "I'm unfamiliar with that, but I would be happy to learn, though I'm known for… blowing away people's expectations."

Starfire turned her attention back to Sirius, a smile threatening to take over her face, "I don't know… it takes far more to impress me than some grandiose claims."

"I think that sounds interesting… and I think I am… more than _up_ to the challenge." Sirius responded without missing a beat at the implication that Starfire wasn't from Earth.

"Are you sure Sirius?" Harry's tone was solicitous, but he grinned wider, ignoring Sirius as the older man shot him a look that was half betrayal, and half promising retribution later. "After those thirteen years living like a monk, you might not be back in shape yet."

"I wasn't living like a monk, I was in prison!" Sirius protested and then looked back at Starfire with a reassuring smile, "Falsely imprisoned."

"I don't know, thirteen years, living off of the bare minimum, wearing robes, enforced celibacy. Sounds a lot like a monk to me." Harry mused, smirking at Sirius while he paused in sipping his orange juice.

"Wrongfully imprisoned!" Sirius said with an outraged glare at his godson. "And then I escaped the inescapable prison-"

"Barty C-" Harry started to interrupt, only to be cut off himself,

"Without help! All to protect my poor vulnerable godson." Sirius said, alternating between looking at Starfire and glaring at Harry.

"Causing me to live in fear that there was a deranged escaped prisoner who was wanting to kill me for an entire year of my life," Harry said brightly.

Sirius gave up looking at Starfire to stare at Harry for several long moments. "You know. You were a lot more helpful at this sort of thing when I took you places with me when you were an infant…and when you didn't know words like celibacy and deranged. Maybe it was just better that you couldn't talk. You were cuter as a baby too."

"I don't think it was me saying words. I think it was the scar," Harry said as he tapped the distinctive mark on his forehead, "Took away my cuteness.

Sirius froze and his mouth opened and shut as he tried to think of a counter for a joke about Harry's scar. After almost five seconds of silence he got a sullen look on his face as Harry smiled smugly.

The rest of the teens whose heads had been swiveling back and forth between Starfire, Sirius and Harry started to snicker. With Cassandra and Speedy both laughing outright.

"I think Harry won that one too," Cassie observed with a grin before glancing over at Starfire.

Starfire was looking back and forth between Harry and Sirius as well, though her brow was scrunched up in concentration. When she spoke it was like she was tasting an unfamiliar word, "Celibacy? I occasionally still encounter words of your language I am unfamiliar with. What is this celibacy?"

Harry winced, and had to hold in the laughter that this potential chaos may cause, especially as she seemed to be looking to him for the answer. Sirius was snickering at him, which made Harry to narrow his eyes before a smirk crossed his lips, "You should ask Sirius about that, he is the one with all the experience of it."

Sirius' countenance made an about-face, turning from snickers to briefly gaping at his godson before he controlled himself.

Victor just looked amused. His attention was drawn away from the overt bantering by Cassie who got his attention once more and tried to save the awkward situation. "You didn't answer my question, is Harry and…his friend going to stick around?'

Victor frowned and started to reply, sharing Sirius' answer from before they had come downstairs, only to be cut off by the Marauder himself.

"That's entirely up to Harry," he spoke up turning away from his sudden attempt to save his conversation with Starfire to look at Harry. His expression briefly flashing to all business, to let Harry know he'd stand by his decision.

Yes Starfire was distracting. She was _very_ distracting to Sirius. But not enough to completely blow off his responsibilities. Not anymore. If anything, Sirius did his best to always choose Harry now when it truly counted. And Harry definitely saw that, despite how much it pained him to turn away from an opportunity to ogle barely concealed breasts displayed so wonderfully and so close, Sirius had given Harry his undivided attention.

Meanwhile, Cassie turned her attention to Harry, and there was an undisguised hopeful expression on her face. One look at her told him that the invitation to stay was clear. He hesitated a moment before he grinned, "Sure, we can hang around for a while. I think would have made our way to San Francisco on our vacation anyway."

Cassie grinned and gestured around, "Well, then we can take you sightseeing! You have your very own tour guides." She gestured at herself and the others and to Raven, who nodded slightly at the idea.

Starfire spoke up, a huff of irritation in her tone now as she focused her attention back upon Sirius, "You didn't answer my question. What is this celibacy? Is this some kind of Earth-disease that you've acquired? Is it contagious?"

Harry chuckled as she wasn't going to let the topic go, and his godfather's attempt to change the topic had not worked at all. "On… that note, I could use some rest. Do you all mind if I crash for a bit before we try and do any sightseeing? I'm still kind of out of it from that fight."

It was true, now that he had eaten, he felt a bit weary. Given that it was now moving on toward morning, he figured he needed some rest. He also wanted to be out of range before Sirius managed to extract himself from the conversational pitfall he found himself in with Starfire.

"Sure, we have plenty of guest rooms, I'll show you around a bit then take you to one." Cassie volunteered, interrupting his thoughts and minor growing jealousy towards Sirius. She pushed away from the island they were sitting and barely even glanced at how her plates and silverware instantly floating over to the sink with how intently she was focused upon Harry.

After a brief wave at the others, Harry followed her, noting that, despite the conversation he had left Sirius with, the expression on both his and Starfire's face had not changed to any great degree. They both still seemed to have a hint of predatory sense to their expression.

 **oOoOooOoOOoOooOoOo**

Batman was concerned. For anyone else, this would actually be the depths of paranoia, but the Dark Knight preferred thinking of it as having a preference for being thorough rather than being caught unaware. The information had been waiting for him after an uneventful patrol of Gotham.

He had read Robin's initial report summary as he drove back to the Batcave. It had come up when he had checked to make sure Robin was okay after an event report earlier in the evening. It was somewhat of a habit to check in with Robin more regularly and consistently now after the recent events with the death of the teen's father. He had been late checking in from San Francisco, and had flagged a report for Batman to read. The file was simple and concise, but it had Batman's mind running at high speed.

Activating the computer, He first set about updating his files from the night's activities, (a few minor street thugs, a tip-off about Two-face… oh, and he had to take down the Scarecrow… again). Afterward he reviewed Robin's file with his full attention. As he read a review of the encounter he immediately followed up and read the files Cyborg had made of the unknown teen, "Harry Potter" and his guardian Sirius Black.

The files he was reading weren't the ones that Cyborg had sent to him, rather the ones generated in the Titans tower mainframe. It also allowed him to simultaneously view the tower security system. Immediately he set his standard security checks running while reading carefully over the medical reports provided by Cyborg.

His computer synced up with computers worldwide, including the Justice League's Watchtower and, once the data came in on the subject's current whereabouts, the Titan's Tower, running in tandem to locate all the information he could find on this newly emerged being.

While he wouldn't pass judgement immediately, Batman was more prone to err on the side of caution. Lots of caution.

With only the slightest motion of his mouth he opened his the connection on his communicator and with a quick command of "S" the communicator beeped softly establishing a connection. There was a delay as it took a moment to encrypt and hide the signal.

There was another beep signifying a connection and a brief pause before a baritone voice answered, "This is Superman."

"Superman, what is your status?" enquired Batman without any sort of greeting

"I'm at a factory fire in Venezuela. I'm assuming this isn't a social call?" Superman answered.

"How soon can you meet me in the basement?" Batman asked bluntly. His tone showing no sign of the fact that he pulled up satellite images of the country, quickly managing to find the factory in question and was doing a quick but detailed analysis of the situation.

"The area is clear, the fire finally contained. I'm assisting authorities to extinguish the fire now, though having to deal with some toxic chemicals." Superman replied. "What's going on?"

Batman resisted the small urge to snort at the idea of Superman "assisting" authorities. "We have a _possible_ Code K."

There was silence for several seconds on the other end of the line. Superman's voice came back clipped and brusque, "I'll be there in ten minutes. Superman out."

Batman nodded slightly, returning to his review of the files, as the computer finished its search. The search didn't take very long, a mere matter of minutes, had passed since he started it but for the phenomenal processing power at his fingertips, it was a relative eternity.

His eyes narrowed as he reviewed Cyborg's report on Sirius' account of Magic, and its prevalence. He decided against immediately contacting John Constantine, especially given his former primary contact no longer was trustworthy in any sense. He knew if it involved the magical community, he might have to involve others, at least to fish for missing pieces of information. But he wanted to see what he could dig up on his own first.

What he found was disconcerting, or rather, it was the lack of what he found. He found the same notices regarding Sirius Black's status as an escaped convict and sought-after killer. Notice of his innocence a few months ago and then a new notice declaring him wanted for kidnapping.

He was wanted for the kidnapping of one Harry Potter, who himself was wanted for questioning without reference to any crime which was most unusual. However the notices were only circulated in Britain, and judging by the rarity of references to them it wasn't exactly a media blitz.

He also found the documentation of Harry's emancipation. A rarity among teens, but certainly not unheard of. Although his curiosity was piqued when he found that the document was filed through one of Britain's top government offices, giving its seal of approval. Something like that was usually handled through a much more junior office.

But it was what he couldn't find that sent red flags up in his mind. There was a great deal of holes in the information. Holes that Bruce Wayne could fly one of his private jets through blindfolded.

Sirius Black was supposedly an escaped convict, but he had no criminal records that Batman could find. No record of a trial, no record of a conviction, and most disturbing, no record of his incarceration at any prison that Batman could discover that he had actually escaped from. Beyond that, the man had… No history. At all. No educational records. No birth records on file, nothing.

The only tangible records of Sirius Black outside of the warnings about his apparent escape from prison two years ago were all within the last week, and all from within the United States.

The only thing even remotely close to a criminal record that popped up in any system Batman searched was from the previous night, where hotel guests had complained of loud sexual activities from the man's room. And that had only popped up because Wayne Enterprises owned the hotel, and that database was included in his global search by default.

Batman had scowled and switched to the boy that had so garnered Robin's initial attention. He did a search in every educational system in Britain and several surrounding countries for the previous year. At least not any for a student that had even a partial match for Harry's face.

He considered reaching out to Oracle for a moment. To see if she could discover anything, as even his electronic network was dwarfed by hers. Deciding to hold on that for the moment, he expanded the search looking for any records, going back eighteen years, based on the kid's apparent age plus a few years for buffer.

At the same time he expanded his search outside the educational realm and into the medical realm. He cast a wide net looking for anyone matching Harry's description.

There was a faint sound of a breeze in the cave. Without turning around, or shifting in his seat, Batman pointed toward a monitor and station beside him, "All files I have seen or found are pulled up."

"Hello to you too," Superman's deep baritone voice responded, a trace of resignation in it, but he was already moving to the sub computer to review the files.

Bruce didn't reply, with anything as a medical records search for Harry Potter turned up the same thing that Sirius Black had turned up. Absolutely nothing.

No medical records, which wasn't too surprising, given Cyborg's difficulties in procuring any medical data during a direct examination. No chance of getting any match to any DNA profiles.

However, while that had come up with no match, his other expanded search had.

With a slight lean forward the only thing betraying his interest as the computer started to spit out reams of data of his expanded search, mostly reports about potential abuse from a single school in Surrey, England. The reports ranged from a little over four years old to almost ten years old.

Curiously the time frame matched other reports filed separately and mostly anonymously from concerned people in that same area. Complaints from teachers, librarians, guidance counselors, citizens, and the occasional police officer, all concerned with the well-being of one boy.

Harry James Potter.

The complaints all had several odd things in common. First, none of them were able to point to a single physical injury that would hint at severe abuse. No broken bones, black eyes or bruising. At least not ones that couldn't also be attributed to any of several documented fights.

The second odd thing was that there were an abnormally high number of complaints that were repeated from the same people. Ones that were filed as if they were filling them out for the first time. In one case the same exact details, were given on no less than three separate occasions, citing different observed events, all while calling for an "initial investigation."

Third, they were all complaints that were, for some reason, never followed up on. No follow-up report, no deeper investigations recorded. No reasoning for case closure. Nothing.

All sorts of things that were tossing up red flags for him.

Finally, they were complaints that almost stopped outright a little over four years ago. That's when the child in question seemed to have completely dropped off the face of the planet without any sort of record whatsoever. The only exception to that was a single report three years previous when a neighbor reported severe concern over one Vernon Dursley installing bars on the windows of a single room at his house at 4 Privet Drive.

It did not paint a bright and cheery picture. It looked like an outright conspiracy.

"Quite an interesting history," Superman's voice came back standing next to him at the computer once more.

"Anything stand out in particular to you?" Batman inquired.

"Well the heavy involvement of magic is more than a little eyebrow raising," Superman replied blandly.

"Ah, magic. One of Master Bruce's favorite topics," a cultured and very British voice interjected dryly, with only the faintest hint of sarcasm. "I see we have company and I wasn't notified."

Superman turned and smiled in greeting to the older man, "Hello, Alfred."

"Good morning, sir," Alfred responded as he set down a tray of tea and a small collection of biscuits down on a flat surface next to the monitor. "Shall I get you some tea?"

"No, thank you." Superman said as he scanned reports Batman was quickly going through as well.

Alfred peered curiously at the files on the screen while serving Batman his tea.

"It's quite the interesting history." Superman mused.

"For which one?" Batman inquired as he stared at the monitor, his fingers active on the keyboard as he multi-tasked. He was setting the computer to do searches for any phenomenon reported during the time period in the decades before James Potter might have been born. He had to make guesses since exactly like Sirius Black there were no files on record for anyone unaccounted for that fit his description and time frame either, save for a birth certificate.

Though it was not James own birth certificate, rather it was the birth certificate of Harry Potter, with him listed as the father.

"Both," Superman answered easily. "I think we should ask Zatanna or Jason Blood to see if they can provide any information."

"Not Zatanna," Batman responded sharply, looking over at Superman for a moment with a glare that could freeze open flame.

Superman bowed his head slightly. After everything that had happened recently with the death of Sue Dibny and what they had discovered that certain members of the Justice League had done to villains.

The worst apparently had been Dr. Light. Sue Dibny had apparently been the victim of a vicious attack by Dr. Light. In return Zatanna had not only erased Dr. Light's memory of the attack, she, with the backing of the members of the JLA had messed with his mind, making the man dumber. He had become somewhat of a buffoon until recently regaining his mind and memories.

Superman had watched Batman's paranoia increase and while he definitely didn't approve of it happening, he understood why his friend seemed so paranoid about the entire set of events, but his actions recently had been more withdrawn and secretive than usual. .

Relationships within the Justice League were fracturing, and even Superman couldn't figure out what to do about it.

"I contacted John Constantine, he was in the middle of something but he should contact me back any time." Batman finally said, turning back to the screen.

Superman nodded, "Good thinking. I take it Jason is out of reach?"

"At the moment he's searching for a magical artifact, and contacting him is spotty," said Batman as he shook his head, "There's something else outside of the magical realm that has me equally as concerned."

A few strokes of his fingers on the keyboard and the large screen in front of him filled with spreadsheets and information in graphical form.

Alfred ignored the new information on the screen, his eyes perusing the same files Superman had moments earlier albeit at a slower pace. Superman's brow furrowed as he looked at the display, uncertain at what he was looking at. However before Superman could ask the question, Batman began to explain.

"You're looking at the financial information of over thirty businesses, including Wayne Enterprises and several subsidiaries. Most of it not for public consumption." Batman pressed a few more buttons and the numbers in the spreadsheets all changed, while the graphs added another color. "Starting a little over a month ago, I started noticing odd things happening in the world of business. It wasn't necessarily _suspicious_ but something that caught my attention."

"Portions of companies I had my eye on for one reason or another started getting bought out," Batman pointed to several documents on the screen. "Some were turned and sold not long after, and some were never put back up on the market. They were bought up by a company called 'Potter Black Incorporated'."

"Much like our two new acquaintances." Superman mused, though his tone made it clear there was some suspicion.

"Hardly believe it to be a coincidence." Batman responded sardonically, "This company is staying in the background, they've made no moves to garner publicity but as soon as some reporter catches on they could start making waves."

"Thankfully, my wife is focused on a smuggling ring at the moment and has no interest in business unless it looks like they're doing something extremely criminal," Superman commented.

Batman refrained from commenting on his friend's wife's predilection for trouble, and continued on with his topic. "Some of their acquisitions are property, some are smaller and more obscure companies, but four percent of Wayne Enterprises, was recently bought from various parties by Potter-Black Inc. It was not enough stock to be truly concerning, but enough for me to begin a cursory investigation in my spare time."

A glance up at Superman told Batman that he was patiently waiting for him to make his point. "And… what did you find out about the company when you investigated?" Superman asked, having no doubt the other man's 'cursory investigation' would put an in depth investigation by a team of accountants to shame.

"Almost nothing." Batman replied, a trace of frustration in his voice, "I couldn't find registered owners, apparently it's operating in some sort of trust, but I couldn't find _any_ employee trails. I couldn't even find traces of what had to have been tens of millions in starting capital. The only thing I did find was that they seemed to be based out of an equally mysterious bank in Britain."

"I hadn't considered magical manipulation," Batman mused quietly as the facts he had been forwarded came to his mind, "Given the secrecy and the mystery around the starting capital, I guess there are hints. I just hadn't made that jump with the inability to find any person linked with the company, everything is above board. However, there are no mysterious disappearances or appearances that would indicate magic. After the start, where the money comes from the bank, every transaction is traceable and legal."

"And where does it start?" Superman asked, he never had the business head Batman had, that he pretended Bruce didn't have.

"The bank that seems to have supplied the capital for startup for the business start is called Gringotts." Bruce said, focusing on one of the reports.

"Never heard of it," Superman responded.

"That sounds vaguely familiar, Master Bruce," Alfred said, looking up from his monitor where he had been perusing the information Batman had found. "Though I cannot quite recall the context in which I heard it before."

"Its name doesn't appear beyond a few initial transactions before filtering to other, more familiar banks. It's an old bank, though it seems it almost never does business in the general financial world. But it's been present, if minimally active in London's financial district for hundreds of years according to my records," Batman commented with a glance over at Alfred.

"All of this over four percent of Wayne Enterprises?" Superman asked, his eyes narrowed.

"It wasn't just Wayne Enterprises," Batman responded shortly, a few clicks of the keyboard bringing up another diagram, "They bought three percent of Queen Industries, six percent of LexCorp shares along with a further eight percent in Lex*Tel Communications. They invested in nearly ten percent in Ferris Aircraft, fifteen percent in KORD Industries and almost a full thirty five percent of Starrware Industries."

Superman narrowed his eyes at the string of familiar names being listed.

"They even managed to invest in STAR Labs," Batman continued.

"How?" Superman demanded, "Garrison Slate is adamant about keeping business and government interests out of it."

"They must have met the requirements, no interference. Overall quarterly reports of expenditures and profits. And that's it." Batman replied. "And there's no use pushing Garrison, other than confirming his investor list, he never reveals the stake, or any other details."

Superman frowned, knowing Bruce was a significant investor, and thus aware of the high level of secrecy the company ran under.

"Also worryingly, they purchased the full remains of Sivana Industries in their entirety," Batman said, irritation in his voice.

"Didn't they… go bankrupt after Captain Marvel foiled the last attempt out there in Fawcett City?" Superman replied, his brow furrowing as he recalled the details.

"They did, the remaining board applied for bankruptcy, but without Thaddeus Sivana managing things, the entire company couldn't even restructure to save itself and essentially just collapsed." Batman gritted his teeth in irritation for a moment, "Wayne Enterprises was looking into buying pieces of it, only now it's been purchased, Lock, stock and barrel, complete with all patents and research."

"That could be problematic." Superman replied dryly.

"No, what is problematic, is that we have no idea what Sivana might have left in anything that wasn't immediately sold off." Batman responded,

"All of this coming out as a possible new Kryptonian emerges." Superman considered calmly.

"Precisely." Batman responded.

Further conversation was interrupted by a flashing symbol on the computer. Batman pressed a button and the image resolved into that of a normal man. He was blonde, and had enough stubble on his face to show he hadn't shaved in three or four days. He had a beat up trench coat on over a white shirt and a haphazardly loosened tie and a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

"Hey Bats, I was in the middle of an exorcism and you didn't flash it as an emergency. What's up?" he asked his British accent obvious.

"I'm looking for information on people who possibly run in your circles," Batman responded unbothered at the man's easy going attitude.

"Ya got magic problems? Alright, if I can't help, I'm sure I can find someone who can," he answered with a nod, well used to Batman's no-nonsense approach.

"Does the name 'Harry Potter' mean anything to you?" Batman asked, only to be taken slightly aback by his reaction.

There was a sharp intake of breath from John, as his expression lost its smile and he started coughing in response having bit down while taking a drag on his cigarette. After straightening up he turned serious in a moment, "Harry Potter… as in Harry Potter the Boy-Who-Lived?"

"Possibly… I can't imagine it's a common name in your circles." Batman responded dryly.

"Where did you come across that name?" John demanded, his voice intent as he stared at Batman over the connection.

"The Teen Titans ran into him when he helped them with a spot of trouble." Batman was slightly surprised by her intensity.

"You know where he is?" he demanded quickly.

"We do… why?" Superman asked, his own curiosity arising.

"Can you tell me where in Britain your Titans are?" he asked quickly, his expression all business firing questions quickly.

"They're not in Britain, haven't been in months to my knowledge." Superman replied, cutting off Batman's immediate demand for more knowledge in response.

"Where did they run into Harry Potter then?" he responded, his intensity faltering somewhat by that revelation, as he stared at the two heroes with a puzzled expression.

"Metropolis." Superman answered.

John blinked at that, he had been in the process of lighting another cigarette but froze completely.

"Can you tell us why you're so interested?" Batman interjected back into the conversation

John shook his head slowly, and looked like he was gathering his thoughts, "Harry Potter is of great significance in the magical world. As I mentioned he is generally referred to as 'the-Boy-Who-Lived.'"

"Why is that?" Batman asked

"Long story, cut extremely short, is that a very powerful and very dark magic user, a Dark Lord in my circles, attacked him and his family when he was a toddler," Constantine explained, "His parents both died, but he somehow survived, and in the process somehow destroyed the Dark Lord's body. Again… as a toddler."

"How did he do that?" Batman asked.

"No one knows," John shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "But… more than that, the big rumor was that he was hit with a killing curse and survived."

"Killing curse?" Superman echoed, his tone filled with disapproval and foreboding.

"Exactly what it sounds like," John replied grimly, "That's the other part of what interests so many people in my line of work. The _mortis_ or killing curse, any version of it you pick, has a one hundred percent success rate against mortals when cast correctly. When it hits you, you're dead. Period. There are no known exceptions in over 3,500 years of recorded use."

"So it's a big deal that he survived?" Superman asked needlessly.

John ran a hand through his hair, "The only ones historically it doesn't work on are gods of various pantheons, and the anointed champions of Chaos or Order, like Dr. Fate. Occasionally someone like Jason Blood with a demonic curse of some sort. But they're not exactly mortal anymore. And even then, death curses can still have effects on them."

"For some kid, a baby really, to not only survive, but to somehow manage to reflect the curse at the same time, destroying a dark lord?" Constantine emphasized, his expression grim, "It was bloody _huge._ Nearly everyone in the magical world across the entire planet wanted to know how."

"I know a few people who have tried to find him on and off for years. To see if they can figure out how it was managed… Or what made the kid so special." Constantine paused to take a puff of his cigarette, before continuing, "Problem is he was hidden magically and no one can get a bead on him. Few people are willing to interact with the wand wavers to try, and fewer still willing to risk dealing with the powerful wizard that runs things among the wand wavers in the very seat of his power."

"And now this _celebrity_ is with the Titans?" Batman interjected. "Along with Sirius Black?"

For the second time in five minutes John found himself coughing again, "I'm sorry, did you say Sirius Black? The Betrayer Black? He's on Harry's tail? Actually closing in on the damned kid?"

Constantine straightened up, with wide eyes, "If Black is with Harry Potter you _have_ to grab him and get him someplace safe!"

Bruce held up a calming hand, "Sirius Black was cleared of all charges of mass murder a few months ago John, although details are very limited."

"No, you don't understand." John said shaking his head rapidly with a hand in his hair as he tried to figure out the best way to explain it, "Sirius Black is known as a Betrayer in magical circles. One of the deepest insults we can give. He was the gatekeeper of a secrecy spell that kept the Potters protected by locking the secret in his soul."

"In the worst sort of treason imaginable, he betrayed the Potters, people who put the trust of their souls in his, to the Dark Lord who killed them." Constantine's voice was utterly grim, and displayed nothing but disgust for the topic of Sirius Black, "After his betrayal, resulted not only in their death but the death of the Dark Lord, Black was caught and imprisoned but only after killing another one of his friends, in yet another nasty bit of betrayal, and a dozen or so civilians."

"Like Batman said, he was cleared of all charges," Superman said, repeating the earlier comment, his deep baritone soothing.

"No, you _don't understand_!" John repeated, his frustration growing, "Look Superman, I get you uphold ideals, laws, morals and have them shooting out your ass as well as your eyes. But... the magical government of the wand wavers back home… is as corrupt as the branches of the US government that spawned Cadmus, including the corrupt private citizens bank-rolling the projects. It's as corrupt as Luthor is."

That got a reaction out of both heroes as they stiffened at the mention of the disgraced and missing ex-president.

"Literally anyone with enough money in that little world can be declared innocent. It doesn't matter if they murdered their mothers in front of a hundred witnesses, after signing a confession, and then admitting to it on national television," John emphasized as he put a hand to his forehead. "I can explain more detail later, it's why we rarely have anything to do with that particular sect of magicals there. But what is important now, is you don't let the Betrayer Black get to Harry Potter. Potter won't survive."

"Sirius Black spent half the evening around Harry Potter, and apparently they're currently traveling together," Batman interjected, cutting off John's line of thought bluntly, "They have been traveling together for some time. As recently as twenty four hours ago, they were checked into the same hotel in Metropolis with adjoining rooms. And that's after spending the evening at a baseball game."

"Wait… what?" Constantine faltered again, looking back and forth between Batman and Superman for some sort of sign his ears had deceived him, "No… that's not right. I remember reading about it, the few times I've poked my head into the Wand Wavers World. I remember hearing plenty of discussions about it. Hell, I remember the bounty that went up a few years ago even outside the wand wavers when he escaped Azkaban. Black's considered amongst the worst of our kind for his actions... Black betrayed the Potters to the Dark Lord and would have killed Harry Potter at the first opportunity…"

"According to what he related to Cyborg, who detected no physiological signs of deception on any of his scanners, he was framed. It was apparently another friend of theirs, a… 'Peter Pettigrew', who betrayed them to the wizard that killed his parents." Batman explained.

"But… that's…" John seemed completely at a loss at that comment.

"Cyborg also noted that Sirius Black seemed very protective of Harry throughout the entire interaction," Batman added, "Victor also mentioned Black seemed to share the same opinion of the government there as you do."

"I knew those wand-waving fools in the wand waver's government were bad, but not this bad…" John muttered as he ran his hand over his face. "To have someone falsely labeled a Betrayer…"

"I didn't think Britain's government was that bad…" Superman ventured with a puzzled expression.

"Britain's _magical_ government, or like I've said, the one established and pretty much exclusively impacting the wand users... well... in _theory_ they answer to the Crown, but in practice, it's a law unto itself," John explained absently, still focused on the previous topic, "That's, I'm still struggling to believe here… you mean to tell me that Sirius Black was wrongly labeled a betrayer when he was innocent, and then he spent time in Azkaban for over a decade?"

"What's Azkaban?" Superman asked, repeating the unfamiliar term that John had no mentioned twice.

"Only the worst slammer in the entire world," John answered promptly, "Makes something you would see in Siberia or Mexico look like freaking a vacation spa. It's only used by British wand wavers, all other magical communities even those in Britain who don't use little sticks protest its use. The guards are actually minor demons that inspire fear and consume souls as well as positive emotions from the prisoners. Most who go in there don't make it out sane after a few weeks. And they typically sentence _anyone_ who commits a crime in Britain to that place, whether it's murder or small petty theft."

"How can something like that be allowed to exist in this day and age?" asked Superman indignantly. "In Great Britain too, of all places."

"As I said, these... people aren't subject to the same laws as everyone else," he said, with a curled lip of distaste. "All the countries of Western Europe have treaties that go back centuries, magically enforced, allowing for complete separate governments and societies run by their magicals. There's no interference, and things operate there like they did half a millennia ago."

"Could be why he's on the run here in America," said Superman slowly.

"Where are these treaties?" asked Batman, zeroing in on what he felt would be the easiest way to blow the lid on a conspiracy like this.

"Who knows at this point?" he replied, with a roll of his eyes. "More than likely, the wand wizards don't care about any of the treaties. If they're still even paying lip service to them it's because a handful of people in each government even know they exist. There is likely no recourse for anyone to protest violations of those treaties."

"And…" John spoke up, interrupting Batman who was about to speak, "Anyone who does protest one of the unilateral decisions put forth by those wand users is promptly threatened with memory wipes if they dare do something they don't agree with," John added. "They haven't quite… grasped the current day and age. In many ways they represent Victorian England. In others, they're even more firmly rooted in the worst aspects of the Dark Ages."

Batman's expression had gone flat at the mention of memory wipes. "Seems like that's not just limited to magic users over there."

John just gave Batman a shrewd look, "I've heard rumblings that you may have had some trouble with that lately."

He flicked his cigarette out of screen and then put his hands together in an odd circular shape before resting it on the left side of his chest, then looked straight into the camera, eyes unflinching as he spoke, "I offer my oath to the best of my knowledge I've never participated in anything that involved your memories."

There was a small flash in John's hands, before he put them down, lighting another cigarette like nothing had happened.

Batman stared at the image for a moment before nodding his head slightly, though it didn't change the fact that his face looked like it had been carved from stone.

"Lovely," said Superman, glancing at his friend and able to tell by the not so subtle way his jaw was clenching that he very much did not like the idea of these cultures, though he was more concerned that Batman might be worried his own memories were tampered with "That's sounds like a powder keg just itching to go off."

"I need to go review the news from Europe," John eventually said after a brief pause as he ran a hand through his hair, "We tend to ignore the wand wavers most of the time, since we can never trust what their news sources say. News like this is pretty huge if Potter isn't safely tucked away and Black is actually innocent."

He took a drag on his cigarette, breathed out slowly, then mumbled loud enough to still be picked up by the microphone, "I need to check in with some contacts to see if they can pass along any news. They'll definitely have heard something. "

"He's that well known?" asked Superman curiously.

"Potter's a combination hero, celebrity, and borderline religious figure in most magical areas. In Magical Britain, I know it's far worse, but he's known throughout most of the magical world as the Boy-Who-Lived." he said meeting Superman's eyes.

"Do you have any idea what would he be doing setting up a large company?" Batman asked changing the topic.

"What kind of company?" John asked, looking confused.

"An investment company, seems to be putting their fingers in a lot of pies at the moment. But I can't track anyone involved in it, except the bank originating the funds." Batman explained and then continued, answering her inevitable follow-up question, "Gringotts is the name of the bank."

John didn't reply immediately, his expression was a mask of concentration. He puffed slowly on his cigarette while he considered it, "That particular magical community likes to keep to itself. If Harry Potter and Sirius Black are there in the US, then they are making a break for it. It's entirely possible they took a lot of money with them."

"Stolen?" Superman asked.

John snorted, "Hardly, I've done some stupid things in my time. But _no one_ who wants to live is stupid enough to steal from the goblins. That's who Gringotts are. They're a Goblin clan… the dominant one throughout much of the world after their last blood war a few centuries ago. They're rude little beasts most of the time, but trustworthy enough. Nice drinking buddies if you find the right ones. Long memories if you screw with them though."

"As a race that set down their weapons to wage financial warfare instead of killing wizards, they're pretty damned frustrated that magical treaties keep them mostly out of the world at large." John shrugged apathetically, "But that's what you get when you let your king sign magically binding agreements on behalf of a nation. The goblins learned that the hard way, and have been stuck by their own oaths for decades or longer."

"As to being 'stolen', no, I don't think any of it was stolen," John said with an adamant shake of his head. "Even if by the grace of some deity, you manage to steal from the little bastards, your life would be absolutely over. Not only would they would find you, take back whatever you stole, with interest, they would then make it their mission to financially ruin you, and _then_ feed you to their dragons."

"No, the Blacks, and the Potters both, even I know that they're wealthy old families," John mused slowly, "And that's someone whose knowledge of Britain is limited. I'm not talking old money like the Wayne's or something here, I'm talking _old_ old money. Old when Bruce Wayne's grandfather's grandfather was in diapers."

John glanced to the side, running a hand through his hair, "Can you give me a half hour or so to pack up here and then let me come to the cave? I want to know everything and figure out what's going on here."

"Alright," Batman replied after a few moment's hesitation. "There's far more to the story that maybe you can help us make sense of."

"Okay, be there as soon as I tie things up here." he answered.

"One thing before you go. I need an assessment. Do you think either Harry Potter or Sirius Black are threats?" Batman asked.

"I honestly… have no idea, I don't know enough about either of them personally. Although since Black spent time in Azkaban, I'd worry about his sanity. Anyone who spends extended time around demons, especially those kind, is questionable," John responded and then moved to press a button ending the connection only to pause as a thought occurred to him, "However I can say one thing with relative certainty."

"What's that?" Superman asked.

"If Harry Potter has left Britain, there _are_ going to be people who want him back," Constantine said, his voice grim, "He became a major fixture of their society, and they won't let him go easily."

"The powerful wizard that I mentioned has made a handful of small areas in Britain, occupied and frequented by wand wavers, practically his personal fiefdom is not known for letting much out of his sight. The man is either revered or feared by pretty much all magic users in their isolated circle," John explained patiently, "Unless something has happened to the old man, I'm surprised the Boy-Who-Lived is off the reservation."

"He'll almost certainly have people after the boy. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if half their government feels the same way. The full gambit here… people who want him for his name, his money, or want to kill in revenge for the fall of their Master, or simply because his blood isn't _pure_ enough," said John, who spat out the word pure like it was a curse. "They'll almost certainly be looking for him, and he's probably important enough a priority that they won't care about collateral damage."

"My opinion of the wand waver sect is admittedly low, but I hear friends talk about them who deal with them far more than me. From what I've heard, these people's morals are completely different than yours or mine. They _don't care_ about non-magical humans," he scowled he considered the issue more seriously.

"At best, non-magicals are treated like provincial amusements to them. Hell, last I had heard, killing a non-magical isn't even considered a serious crime in certain circles of that society, and certainly not one that isn't difficult to pay a bribe to make the charges go away." Constantine ran a hand through his hair, "It was a wand waver who was behind a number of the more insidious aspects of World War Two. Though to be fair, it was also one that was a major reason for the swing back to the good side."

That caused Superman, Batman and Alfred to all stiffen.

"So," said Batman slowly, giving nothing away in his tone or what little was revealed of his face. "We have two rich individuals on the lamb from a society of wizards who have little to no concern about killing innocents if it means they are in their way. A society who may want these wizards back."

John lifted one shoulder in a half shrug, looking somewhat uncomfortable, "Very possible. On the other hand, it's _possible_ no one cares. Like I said, Britain and scattered parts of Europe are isolated from the magical community at large and we pretty much expect that they'll eventually wipe themselves out. So I'm not up to date on the comings and goings. I'll need to do some digging."

"Given how the Titans initially encountered Harry Potter, and how quick he was to jump in to aid them, both saving innocent bystanders and fighting Grundy directly, I think it's safe to say that the values of their society are not values he holds to," Superman stated reasonably.

"That's more than a little reassuring that he hasn't followed in the customs and beliefs of Britain." John said with a trace of relief. "Although that just might mean he's vulnerable."

"As reassuring as his morals may be, we still have to worry about anyone who comes after them," Batman summed up grimly.

 **OooooOoOOOOoOooooO**

"You know, you didn't have to come with me," Harry commented as they walked down the sidewalk overlooking the beach.

"I know," responded the blonde teen with a careless shrug walking next to him. "But it's the least I could do after you helped us out yesterday, and then someone offered to play tour guide and had to raincheck."

Harry opened his mouth to reply but was cut off as the girl continued.

"Besides, Cass felt really bad about having to bail this morning. Robin wanted to go back to Star Labs to see if they could figure out what Slade and his goons were really after. He wasn't going alone, but he didn't need all of us," she responded with a shrug of her shoulders while she sipped at a coffee. "Given they didn't expect trouble, and he had Cass, Raven, and Cyborg with him, it meant that someone whose only skill is firing arrows was just overkill. So, it meant I was free."

Harry's mouth clacked shut as he found himself nodding as he glanced over at Speedy, or Mia as she had asked to be called, who walked nonchalantly beside him in jeans and a red hoody. Much like Cassie she was blonde haired, blue eyed and attractive, but the similarities ended there. Where Cassie seemed taller, and more muscular, Mia was smaller, and more lithe. If she weighed a hundred and ten pounds Harry would have been stunned.

When he had woken up, the blonde archer had mentioned that some of the team had to run an errand, and Cass had been apologetic and left a note insisting she'd play tour guide when they got back. Harry wasn't going to just sit around, so he decided to go out and explore the city, maybe go to the beach or something.

Mia had volunteered to join him, though he wasn't certain if it was because she genuinely wanted to come, didn't want to be cooped up in the tower, or felt bad for being the bearer of bad news from Cass, and from Sirius too.

He had asked where Sirius' was, as he intended to wake the man up and drag him along, Speedy's somewhat sheepish answer of "I'm pretty sure he's in Starfire's room, and I'm fairly certain they only recently fell asleep," ended all inclination of dragging his godfather along.

He had resolved that if his godfather managed to piss off another woman on this trip that the animagus was on his own this time. Harry would not defend the man, or stop the inevitable disagreement that would occur, when Sirius attempted to get the woman to leave. Or when Sirius attempted to slip away without leaving a number or contact information.

He wasn't sure if he was encouraged or worried to find out from Mia that Starfire apparently wasn't a part of the Teen Titans at the moment. She had been a member until recently when she left to join the Outsiders in order to help resolve some issues that team was having. She still occasionally dropped by the apartment kept for her for one reason or another.

How Sirius would manage to sneak away when he was sleeping in the woman's own room this time, inside a veritable fortress no less, Harry hadn't the faintest idea.

Harry shook his head out of those thoughts and instead focused on the beach as they walked by. It was almost noon and it was a sunny day. He saw people already laying out in the sun, and children playing in the water. In the distance he could see several boats and shifts moving about their day. He glanced over at his companion who seemed to be people watching herself.

After an extended, but not uncomfortable silence as they meandered down the boardwalk, Harry spoke up, "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Mia smiled in amusement as she took a quick drink of her coffee, "Go for it."

"You're normal right?" He blurted out, uncertain how to phrase his question but not letting that stop him. "I mean… you don't have…" he trailed off waving his hand as if that would explain.

"You mean… human?" Mia outright tilted her head back and laughed in amusement at the question. "Yes, I am. No special powers here. I can't fly, I'm not bullet proof or super strong or able to shoot lasers out of any body part."

"So why do you…?" He asked obliquely, with a suspicious glance around them in case anyone might be listening in.

"Why do I what? Work with the Teen Titans? Fight crime in general? What?" She asked her tone somewhat challenging and she turned to look at him, though didn't stop their pace.

"I'm sorry, still not quite used to this," Harry responded sounding apologetic.

She glanced over at him, with a curious expression. They weren't fighting anything or facing off against any villains. They were walking along the beach drinking coffee and talking. She couldn't help but wonder how that had him acting so awkward.

"So are you wondering why I go out there and fight crime? Or are you wondering why a normal human hangs out with people like the Teen Titans? Whose average villain could probably crush her like a ripe tomato?" Mia pressed, not quite willing to let him off the hook of the question.

She was also, less concerned with people around them. They were on a beach with no one looking at them suspiciously or following them. They just looked like two normal teens and they weren't giving away top secret information, even if people did care what two teenagers could have been talking about.

"Well… I wasn't going to put it quite like that, but..." Harry said sheepishly, running his hand through his hair in embarrassment. "Both, I guess."

"Always say what you mean," Mia advised with a smirk, finishing off what little remained of her coffee. "As to why I fight crime. I want to do something with my life… before..." She trailed off looking to the side, while gritting her teeth momentarily.

She offered a wry smile moving past the awkward pause and pleased when he didn't press for details, "I'm pretty much a cliché. Ran away from a bad home situation. Fell in with some bad people. Ended up in a bad situation. Was saved by Green Arrow who gave me a job and took me in. He's the one who taught me to use a bow and arrow, and how to fight."

"As for the Teen Titans?" She hummed thoughtfully, as she glanced out at the ocean. At the same time she absently tossed her coffee cup in the opposite direction, hitting a trashcan that stood almost thirty feet away.

"Truth be told, I'm new around them. Literally… like a few weeks. So I still feel like somewhat of a guest. Even though they've been great about making me feel welcome." A guilty look crossed her face, "I only started joined because my mentor insisted. His price for teaching me so to speak. And then my first day with them was kind of a giant clusterfuck."

She trailed off and glanced over at Harry, surprised to see that not only was he listening intently, there was only curiosity in his expression. There was no judgement in his expression at the admission that she was very new to the hero-ing gig, or that she had been convinced somewhat reluctantly to join the Teen Titans in the first place.

"What about you?" She turned the question around on him, "Why do you do it?"

Harry almost stumbled in his steps when the question hit him, as it wasn't something he had ever thought about previously. Why did he take all of the insane risks he had, despite never being thanked or only finding himself hated more by people for saving them.

He walked another dozen paces, deep in thought. Speedy obviously realized something profound was occurring within her new acquaintances head, so she didn't say anything. Eventually, Harry finally started to answer, although his speech was halting, as if he wasn't quite sure of the truth of the response.

"Well, I don't know that I 'do it' per se. I just seem… to keep ending up in these situations, that I feel like...if I didn't step up to help, no one else would," he said without turning to look at the girl next to him. "Then it turned out that its likely most of the stuff I did was a setup to test me or something."

"I just got used to leaping without looking," Harry said after some consideration, running a hand through his hair. "It's why I ended up involved last night. I saw that monster ready to hit that girl with a car and just couldn't help myself. I probably need to get better at that."

"Yeah, good luck with that." Mia snorted a little bit. "It's not easy just to turn it off."

Harry nodded, slipping his hands in his pockets as they continued down the boardwalk. He seemed to lose himself in thought as they walked and silence fell between them before Mia finally broke it. "Where are we going?"

Harry started slightly, glancing around, "I… don't really have any place specific in mind."

"Well," Mia glanced around, "What in San Francisco do you want to see?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. I'm not even sure what there is to see!" Harry protested, "You wanted coffee, and said that place was close… and the beach was right there. I do enjoy seeing the beach and the ocean. Albeit this one is way more crowded."

"Hell, I wasn't even sure there was a beach nearby until I saw it." Harry replied with a helpless shrug.

Mia couldn't help it, she put her hand to her mouth as her shoulders shook in mirth, "Geography not one of your strong points?"

"Well, first I'm a Brit, not a Yank." Harry replied an amused smirk on his face, "Second, no. Geography… was not even offered in my last school."

"Well, Cass mentioned taking you to see some sights, and I'm not really the tour guide type." Mia mused as she pursed her lips before brightening. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I could eat," Harry answered. It was nearly lunch time and 'breakfast' was in the middle of the night. He definitely had an appetite.

"Okay, why don't we go grab a bite to eat somewhere up at Fisherman's Wharf? Even I've heard of it." Mia offered with a grin, "And if Cass and the others still haven't caught up with us after, we can catch a movie or something."

"Sure, that sounds like a plan," Harry answered with a matching grin.

 **OooooOoOOoOooooO**

Lunch went off without a hitch, Harry found that he really enjoyed Mia's company and noticed that they had a lot of similarities in them. Neither much liked to talk about their past, and were evasive about anything regarding actual family.

Both her mentor Green Arrow and his godfather apparently had a habit of sleeping around. Although apparently that might not be the case for much longer, since Mia thought that Green Arrow and his on again off again flame were dancing around getting serious.

Or not.

It all depended upon the day of the week apparently.

Although apparently that was only after the man had discovered he was soulless being, their benefactor was a Satanic Cultists and a child serial killer, the man had attempted to steal Green Arrow's body and start a demon invasion. They had foiled the demonic summoning and in the process Green Arrow got his soul back. The story got a bit complex there but made Harry relieved to know that it wasn't only his life that could get just plain weird.

In return Harry shared his adventures during his first year, which had Mia in turns laughing and in turns in disbelief. All in all it was a good lunch.

They were just discussing whether or not to adjourn to a movie when a beeping sound startled them both. Harry looked around for the source and it took Mia several seconds to process, reaching into her pocket to pull out a square metallic object that was blinking red rapidly.

"It's the Titan's emergency signal!" Mia gasped, jolting up she pressed down on the red blinking light, and the sound stopped. "This is Speedy, what's going on?"

Nothing came over the line and Mia looked to Harry with wide eyes, "If they just punched the emergency without any message. It means something is majorly wrong and we need to get back."

Harry nodded, a cold feeling forming in the pit of his stomach, leaving the remainder of his fish and chips, "C'mon, I can get you back faster than you can get there yourself."

She hesitated only a moment before she nodded, Harry didn't hesitate a moment more, as they both stepped away from the table and then he gripped her by the waist and took off in the direction of the tower.

She didn't complain as they soared into the air. Harry didn't go too fast so as not to hurt his passenger, but he had one focus in his mind. It didn't take long for them to come in sight of the T-shaped tower on the island and to note that something major had happened. There was smoke rising from the side of the base of the tower, and a huge hole in the wall and obvious sign of damages as several windows and surrounding grounds were all torn up.

Harry aimed toward where he saw figures moving around, near the fire. He landed setting Mia down as he did. She looked around, and a half moment later Kid Flash, in his yellow and red uniform came to a stop in front of them. The uniform clearly showed signs of battle being ripped in places over the arms and shoulders, as well as over the legs.

He started talking before either of them could ask the obvious question. "Something happened, Superboy went nuts and attacked us before flying off."

"Where is everyo-?" Mia started to ask, as they looked around at the large amount of destruction around the tower.

"He trashed the infirmary as part of it, and they've taken all the injured to StarLabs Medical Facilities in Palo Alto." Kid Flash replied faster than she finished her question.

"What happened to Sirius?" Harry demanded, his fists clenched at his sides.

"He was hurt pretty bad, they took him to StarLa-" Kid Flash responded only this time he was the one cut off.

"Show me." Harry demanded immediately already floating up in the air.

"Give me two minutes to get changed," Mia protested, not waiting for a response as she darted into the tower.

Harry debated going without her but Kid Flash, or Bart as Harry recalled, seemed to have made the decision for them, crossing his arms and tapping his foot rapidly, clearly not great with the whole waiting thing. It would have been more irritating if it had lasted longer than four seconds. Afterward Kid Flash began to blur around the yard, and things, little by little started to be fixed, or at least placed back in their places.

Harry was a little bit distracted by trying to follow the blur and lightning in air as it moved around. He found that if he focused, the movements seem to slow somewhat and while still a blur, at least he was able to vaguely follow the figure as it moved.

It was closer to one minute than the two minute estimate Mia had supplied when she came back. She had her dark red bodysuit and matching mask with a yellow arrowhead in the middle of her chest. Her arm guards and leg guards were both yellow metal, and her hood and partial cape was yellow as well. Though at the moment the hood wasn't up. She also had her bow and quiver on her back, clearly ready to go.

"Alright, let's roll." She said, without preamble, glancing back and forth between Bart and Harry before making a decision and moving to Harry, "You'll have to carry me again."

"I'll do my best to go slow enough for you to keep me in sight, it isn't far." Bart said, before once more disappearing in a blur of red lightning.

Harry just nodded, shifting to pick her up by her hips once more before he took to the air, careful once more of his passenger, but doing his best not to let Bart get out of sight.

It didn't take them long to reach the facility. It was less than a five minute flight even with his passenger.

It was another facility along the coast, it wasn't quite an island but there were two small bridges off of it, and was the only building on the section of ground around them. Harry set Mia down as they landed outside the facility, and followed in a door that he had seen Kid Flash blur into.

Harry noticed people around, many in white coats that he assumed were doctors, but they made no move to stop them. He followed Kid Flash, who had apparently slowed down for both his and Mia's benefit.

They pushed into a large room, one with more technology than he'd ever encountered before. It was also bustling with activity.

He noted Cassandra sitting up, wearing the same uniform on from last night. She had several bandages on her face and neck, and a multitude of scrapes. Though she looked more upset than anything. She had one doctor by her bed writing on a clipboard though he didn't seem to be talking to her and she didn't seem to be talking with him. Her eyes fell on Harry and she froze for a moment, uncertainty filling her features.

His eyes moved from her to the next bed, where another teen, in a green mask, with a black cape and red top, with an R on it. He was also sitting up, but two doctors seemed to be working to attach something to his arm. Harry recognized the costume vaguely from the evening before but hadn't actually met him.

Raven, with her hood down, was standing next to his bed. As was as a male whose skin and hair were all green. He looked like he was an older teen, or maybe very early twenties. Kid Flash appeared beside them a moment later and Mia made their way over as well.

Harry moved his attention onward. His gaze fell on two other beds that had doctors gathered around them, but it prevented Harry from seeing who was on those beds. Harry instantly moved toward the beds.

When he got close, rather than push through the doctors, he floated into the air to see over them. On the first bed, was the woman he had been introduced to briefly the night before, Starfire. She looked like she had been hurt badly. Parts of her orange skin were discolored, a nasty looking greenish color and several were darkened.

Still his attention turned to the other bed, where his eyes fell upon Sirius.

At least he thought it was Sirius. It was hard to tell with the bandages that were all over his face, head and chest. On the far side of the bed rested the coat that Sirius had gotten himself, matching Harry's. Still, it wasn't until his eyes fell upon the watch still on the patient's hand that he was sure it was his godfather.

He moved over, settling on the ground and grabbed one of the Doctors, one who didn't seem to be working on the man directly, "Is Sirius okay?"

The doctor, with an ID that identified him as Tyler Reed, an older man, that Harry guessed to be in his late fifties, with dark skin and grey hair, look taken aback for only a moment, glancing at the man and then the device in front of him before looking back at the boy in front of him. Given the extraordinary circumstances he was used to working under with various superheroes, he didn't waste time asking if the boy was next of kin.

"Sirius? He… was rather critically injured." the doctor explained. "We have him… stable for the moment."

Doctor Reed saw the lad's eyes go wide, as the teen clearly latched onto the last part of the statement. He decided to pre-empt the inevitable follow-up line of questions, "He has significant injuries to most of his body. Some second degree burns, but the difficult part is the broken bones, and piece of metal that pierced his side. One of his legs is also in particularly bad shape from something heavy falling on it."

There was a grip on his arm, getting his attention. He turned to find himself face to face with Cassie who looked very upset. "Harry, I'm sorry…"

"How did he… what happened?" Harry asked, trying to keep his own anger in check.

"One of our friends… Superboy… he… he something was wrong. He attacked for no reason." Cassandra shook her head, tears in her eyes, "Sirius and Starfire were eating breakfast and they tried to help stop him."

She gritted her teeth a moment but forced herself to meet Harry's eyes, "Sirius stopped Superboy's head vision from hitting Bart and Beast Boy, with some sort of shield. He tried to hit Superboy with some sort of spell but Superboy threw a whole section of wall at him. He… could have moved but it would have hit Beast Boy for sure and possibly Bart as well. He tried to stop it with another spell I think, but it didn't work all the way and it hit him."

Harry clenched his fist tightly and the muscle in his jaw flexed in anger, he could feel frustration rising inside of him though he managed to beat it back.

Cassie read his expression easily and held up her hands, her voice oddly pleading, "It wasn't Superboy's fault, something was controlling him. It had to be, he wouldn't talk… he was so different."

Harry looked away from her, her words reminding him vividly of people's descriptions and his own observations of an _imperious_ curse. His eyes focused back on Sirius as he stared at the bandages in man form.

He wished he knew more about healing, but he'd only read a handful of books. His eyes widened as an idea occurred to him. His brow furrowed in thought for a few moments before he straightened up, "Dobby!"

With a pop the little being appeared right next to Harry and bounced up and down on his toes, smiling brightly, a smile that dimmed significantly as he stared up and read his Master's expression. It was obvious even to the sometimes oblivious house elf that something was wrong.

Harry knelt down and looked in Dobby's eyes seriously. "Dobby, Sirius is very badly hurt. Can you go to the goblins? See if they can find a healer they can trust to help and if they'd be willing to come?"

Dobby straightened up, looking very serious, "Yes Master Harry! Dobby can do that!" The little being responded seriously before disappearing with a popping sound.

Harry turned back to respond to Cassie, when the doors to the infirmary opened with a soft hiss of air and in walked another group of costumed and colorful people.

This group was somewhat older than the Teen Titans, each looking like they were in their early to mid-twenties.

They were led by a man with black hair, and a dark blue mask across his eyes, the blue matched the blue on his blue and black outfit as he walked in. His face was exceptionally grim, though Harry thought that might have something to do with the fact that he was carrying a woman that was completely green and clearly was injured herself.

"Nightwing!" Robin called out, standing up, and hesitating as he saw the form of the green woman in his arms, "What happened to Jade?"

Harry noted that Robin had his arm in a thick metal sling, similar to the casts people would wear on a broken arm only far larger and bulkier, he hadn't noted that when he initially walked in.

"We got your message," the recently addressed Nightwing responded as he laid the woman Harry assumed was Jade down on the medical bed that Robin had just vacated. She was immediately surrounded by several doctors who began to take scans of the woman.

"What happened?" Robin asked again.

Nightwing turned to regard Robin after setting the woman down, "We were attacked."

"It wasn't Superboy was it?" Robin asked immediately, his eyes wide.

"No, it was Indigo. She attacked us," Nightwing responded, his eyes focused on Robin's arm. "How bad is it?"

"Comminuted fracture, they've set it. Cast should be durable." Robin responded in clipped tones.

While they were talking, Harry's eyes went to the people who had shuffled in behind the aforementioned Nightwing. His eyes first flicked to a dark skinned girl with startlingly blonde hair. Her outfit was purple and orange with several cut outs in the center, displaying her figure. She had metallic gloves and she seemed particularly upset as she glared at one of her companions.

"They're the group called the Outsiders, the one Starfire is a part of. That's Thunder," Cassandra's voice next to him murmured quietly, seeing his eyes on the new arrivals and answering his unasked questions. "The guy she's glaring at and seeming to try and set on fire with her mind is Arsenal."

Harry's eyes turned from the girl to the man the woman was glaring at. He had light red hair, and a red chin goatee. He was still wearing sunglasses while standing inside the infirmary. He was dressed in red and black and had pouches on various parts of his body. The rest of what she said filtered into Harry's mind. "Set him on fire with her mind, she can't...?"

Cassie managed a weak chuckle despite the situation. "No. nothing like that, she can get really heavy and dense and hard to hurt."

"Oh," Harry nodded slowly, before his eyes focused on the last two people who had followed them in. The taller of the two was a large man, easily six foot seven, with grey skin. He had what looked like orange and purple tattoos under his skin. Orange on one side of his body, with purple on the other, that seemed to move without any rhyme or reason in response to his agitation.

The woman, was only two, maybe three inches smaller than him. She had short red hair that Harry was surprised to say actually stuck up even more haphazardly than his own. She was what looked to be a red and black sports bra, green cargo pants riding low on her hips, and black combat boots. Her arms and shoulders were also covered in tattoos, though those did not seem to move on their own.

"That's Shift," Cassandra added, answering his unasked question, "And the woman is Grace, she's super tough and she packs one hell of a punch."

Harry nodded, glancing over at her and nodding his thanks. Not that it told him anything more about the people, but it did at least put names to their faces. He didn't say anything further as one of the Doctor's explained that Jade, the green woman was just fine, her body was already healing from a concussion and a cracked rib.

"So what exactly happened?" Nightwing asked, after a quick discussion with the doctor, and a similar update on Starfire, and focusing once more on Robin.

"It happened so suddenly, he came down the stairs," Robin explained, "He was just… different."

"And he shaved his head," Bart offered up as both groups seemed to take this as a mutual conversation.

"Our overgrown toaster oven did the same… suddenly changed mid conversation and attacked us," Grace commented with a growl, her fists clenching as if she was ready to punch something then and there.

Harry noticed that the man Cassie had pointed out as Shift glared at Grace, clenched his jaw and crossed his arms, looking for all the world that it was either that or punch the other woman, who clearly saw the action and didn't seem inclined to apologize.

"He didn't seem to know us. Or care," Cassandra spoke up, getting the attention of the group.

"I could not sense _any_ emotion from him. He was like an empty vessel." Raven added, her eyes half-lidded as she considered it, "It was as if he was another being altogether."

"Another being would have been nice." Kid Flash commented, crossing his arms as he hung his head. "He was still strong enough to nearly kill us."

"He wasn't in control at all. You could just see…" Cassie's defensive tone trailed off momentarily, and her voice softened as she touched her cheek where the bandage was, "You could… feel it… it wasn't him."

That least to a pause as they digested the words before Nightwing spoke up, "Well, I suppose the same could be said about Indigo."

"I don't know." Grace, the red haired woman with spiky hair scowled as she spoke up again, "She seemed pretty damn sure of herself to me."

"Shut up." growled the gravelly voice of the grey skin Shift from directly behind her. His expression set in a scowl.

Grace whirled around to face him. "Yeah, defend her. She melted your head!" She snapped at the man.

"Look," said a new voice, causing everyone to turn to the table where the injured green-skin woman, Jade was sitting up and had shifted on the table to face the group. "We can't necessarily assume that their behavior is related. We still don't know very much about Indigo."

"She's from three thousand years in the future," commented Arsenal, the light red-head who Harry had yet to say a word to anyone. "And one of the most advanced cybernetic organisms anyone has ever seen. Aside from that-"

"Aside from that we have _nothing_." The dark skinned blonde spoke up, anger filling her voice as she shifted to fully confront Arsenal. "She should never have been reactivated. Cyborg told us as much."

"Cyborg rebuilt her!" Arsenal said angrily, pulling his sunglasses off to glare down at the young woman.

"He rebuilt her for study! Not to be in the field!" Thunder argued stepping up and meeting Arsenal's glare with one of her own, "At the moment considering he's in his own repair shop, piecing himself together, I don't think he's taking a lot of pleasure in being proven right!"

"Yeah, it's a lot of laughs for all of us, Thunder Pants." Grace sneered. "That little speak-n-spell in a miniskirt he rewired is way off the reservation."

"Grace," the gravelly voiced Shift growled in warning, "If you want to get hurt, keep it up."

Grace whirled to face him once more jabbing an accusing finger in his direction, "Shift, you gotta get a grip and realize that your wind-up doll just tried to whack us!"

"You want to die?" Shift demanded his fists clenching and leaning forward as if he was fighting the urge to strangle the woman. It was obvious, even to Harry that the man cared a great deal for the other person in question.

"Go ahead!" Grace shot back at him, "That'd be twice someone tried today!"

Harry watched and for just a moment wondered if this is what his parents and Sirius had felt like in the previous war. People you knew, trusted, loved… all the sudden turning into murderous lunatics and betraying everything they'd previously stood before. Splash a few spies like Wormtail into the mix for a bit of coloring, and the whole thing was a recipe for a disaster, and would be incredibly difficult to pick up the pieces afterwards.

Something like this could really tear at whatever fragile threads of teamwork these individuals currently had.

"Everyone calm down!" shouted Nightwing as he stepped between the two and held up his arms to prevent them from getting any closer. Neither looked pleased about the situation, but they both grudgingly stopped. Though it didn't stop the two from glaring at one another.

"Okay," Nightwing said after taking a breath and in the process forcing everyone around to do the same. "We have a situation on our-"

He was cut off by a popping sound causing everyone in the room to turn and look beside Harry.

Dobby had returned, and he had brought three beings who stood at a little over waist height for Harry, a foot or so taller than Dobby, with similarly pointed ears, but were clearly a different species. One of the three was likely much older than the others based on the white hair and the amount of wrinkles. They all each had wicked looking daggers in their hands.

"Dobby back, Master Harry Potter!" the little being announced.

Harry paused momentarily to look at the three goblins who looked around briefly and then were staring at the costumed heroes as much as they were staring at the Goblins.

"Dobby… I said to see if the Goblins could _find_ any healers," Harry said slowly.

That prompted the lead Goblin to speak up, anger and indignation filling his tone. "We are three of the best healers in the goblin nation."

"Oh," Harry responded blankly staring at them, "Sorry I've never met a healer or doctor with daggers."

"That's strange. All of our healers carry them," the lead goblin replied, his anger shifting to amusement.

"Dobby… please tell me you didn't just abduct Goblin healers?" Harry asked, with dread in his voice while not taking his eyes from the goblins.

The old Goblin spoke, his amusement now plain for all to see, "Not at all, we volunteered immediately upon hearing it was a request from one of The Nation's two favorite clients. And our healers are at least as good as any medi-witch or wizard you'll find. And our trust is assured."

Harry opened his mouth and then shut it, completely not certain as to how to respond to that. The goblins had been rather helpful of late, but it seemed like this was something more than that. He shook that thought off resolving to figure it out later, and pointed over at the bed which still had doctors around it, most of which were staring at the goblins along with everyone else in the room, "Sirius is over there, please. I'd appreciate whatever you can do to help."

The Goblins said something to one another in their own tongue and immediately turned to go over to Sirius. They bustled close and stepping stools appeared without warning so they could get up to the table height. The doctors looked upset but also seemed unwilling to argue the point considering Harry brought them there and asked for their help.

The fact that they hadn't set down their wicked looking daggers might have had something to do with it though.

"Who are you?" demanded Arsenal as he looked down at Harry, having realized that he didn't recognize him, and not quite prepared for more confusion at the moment.

"Who are _you_?" Harry countered just as sharply. He didn't know the redhead from anything beyond the pseudonym Cassie had supplied, and wasn't going to take the man's aggravated tone because he was feeling pissy.

"Look at the balls on this one," snickered Grace, "Losing your touch Roy."

"Enough!" Nightwing said again, stepping up and pushing Arsenal back when he seemed like he was going to escalate the confrontation. Nightwing focused on him as he spoke, "We need to think this through and plan our next move!"

"I guarantee you, whoever is behind this will _not_ be waiting for us to decide on a plan of action." Nightwing said, looking around at everyone gathered there. He looked like he was going to say more when he was interrupted.

BA DOOOOM.

A loud boom shook the facility from the outside causing everyone to look up.

Harry thought he heard several booms to make up one large one but he couldn't be certain.

"I guess you called it…" Jade said, looking from Nightwing, up to the ceiling above them pushing fully up off the bed, "It sounds like we have company."

Harry watched as the entire group seemed to shift gears mentally. It didn't take any words, they all bolted for the stairs and the exits, with Jade, Shift, Wonder Girl, and Raven all lifting into the air and opened a hatch on the roof Harry hadn't even noticed.

The rest poured towards exits and then to windows.

Harry hesitated for several seconds, torn between going to see what was going on, and staying back to protect his godfather. However that lasted for all of about three seconds until he heard an explosion above them.

He looked at the hatch, one last time, glancing back at his godfather and the goblins who seemed to be standing over him. Curiously, there were only two standing over Sirius at the moment, the third goblin had gone over and seemed to be examining the still unconscious Starfire.

He quickly walked over to the Goblin examining Starfire and asked, "Excuse me, but if you have time and aren't in any danger considering we're under attack at the moment, if you could heal Starfire here as well, I do believe my Godfather would be very grateful."

The Goblin looked up from where he was giving a cursory examination to the obviously non-human and hitherto never seen before species that Starfire represented. The goblin did not hesitate to nod, "We will ensure she's healed, Mr. Potter. Go, now. Make your enemies tremble before you."

Another explosion above them made his need to leave all the more pressing. He lifted into the air without a thought and flew out of the hatch in the roof.

Straight into a warzone.

 **OooooOoOOoOooooO**

Everywhere he looked there was combat going on, and for a brief moment Harry thought everyone was fighting the same man. A man dressed in blue, with a yellow S on his chest. On his back was a red cape with a similar yellow S.

However in the next instant he picked out more details and noticed that some of them were not quite whole, some were missing patches of skin, or a jaw, making it obvious even to Harry's rather limited understanding they were robots.

Directly in front of Harry on the roof, Speedy was firing her bow at one while Arsenal was wielding two guns and unloading them into the same target who seemed staggered under their onslaught.

The green teen, Beast Boy was currently in the form of a large gorilla and pounding on one of the robots, while the other green skinned person, Jade seemed to have created a spiked ball on a chain made out of pure green energy and was ramming it onto people.

Wonder Girl, Grace, and Shift seemed to be unloading with their fists into them, while Kid Flash ran circles around them, doing… something to cause them to fall to pieces a little at a time. Though Harry couldn't quite tell what that something was.

Harry catalogued it all in only a moment before his attention was brought to one of the robots, one with half of its face without skin, unencumbered by any other combatants, eyes glowing red and headed right toward Speedy.

He didn't think twice, lifting off straight up and smashing into the chest of the robot. He felt the metal resist momentarily and then give way under the impact of his body. He found the robot still moving as it tried to wrap its arms around him. So he punched it as hard as he could in the chest, causing it to spark and then shudder as Harry's hand went in one side and out the other.

"What are these?" he heard Mia's voice demand, as she sighed her bow at another robot and hit it square in the eye, while asking the same question he himself had.

"Superman Robots!" called out Arsenal as he fired in the opposite direction of Speedy, his twin guns seeming to spit out bursts of powerful fire.

"Like the one that **killed** Donna Troy!" snarled Wonder Girl as she planted a fist through the head of another robot. Only to let out a cry as she took a shot of heat vision from one of the robots in the back sending her tumbling to the ground.

The robot was immediately distracted by the tumbling form of Nightwing as an explosive batarang hit it in the chest, not enough to completely destroy it but enough for it to turn its attention to the gracefully twisting acrobat.

"We assumed Indigo activated it accidentally." Nightwing said calmly despite twisting to avoid a strike from the robot, and hitting it with another explosive batarang right on its mouth this time.

"Accidentally my tattooed ass!" Grace commented standing up from the remains of the robot she had clearly smashed beneath her feet to engage another one, "Two hours ago 'Rosie' went all Brainiac 8 on us!"

"Someone's been gunning for the sidekicks since day one!" She leapt forward toward another robot, and grunted as she managed to avoid a blast of heat vision from its eyes. "And it's lookin' more and more like it was Little Miss Sunshine!"

"It's a malfunction!" Shift defended as he smashed another robot nearby, "Some kind of mistake!"

"These can't all be mistakes, Shift!" she cried out turning to look at him briefly. It was a mistake that cost her as the robot she had closed distance with hit her with a vicious uppercut and an echoing THOOM sound.

"That… thing just knocked Grace out!" Thunder said in disbelief as he watched an unconscious Grace land upon another robot with a huge impact.

"Is that difficult to do, Thunder?" Raven asked, from beside her black energy pouring out of her hands as she hit another robot.

"I've never been able to get her to shut up," the blonde said as her punch managed to slam the arm off the robot next to her.

Harry was keeping up with all this while grappling with a robot who he couldn't seem to get a solid hit in, before he changed tactics and slid forward, grabbing the arms and then ripping them off to the sides with a heave.

He turned to grab another robot and made for the one nearest him, one missing its lower jaw. But Shift got to it first.

"You know where Indigo is, don't ya?" Shift demanded as his large fist closed around the robot's neck, "Tell me, Tin Man. Talk!"

"Tell me, Tin Man. Talk!" The robot repeated, the word and pace the same though the voice was flat and mechanical and came through a speaker in its throat, then its eyes glowed red as it hit Shift in the face with its heat vision.

"Arrrraaa!" the large man let out a howl of agony as he flew back in pain, steam rising from half of his face.

Harry could feel power mount inside him as his rage built, but didn't have time to intervene as another robot had slammed into him from the side, causing him to turn and clasp his hands together and slam them into the back of the robot, smashing him in half. Still he didn't need to intervene as someone else did.

"Shift!" Wonder Girl cried out as she slammed into the robot that had just hit Shift in the face with its heat vision. "Get away from him!"

She piledrived the robot into the ground, her voice a snarl of rage as she pounded into the robot, "You killed her! You killed Donna!"

The robot fired its heat vision at the enraged girl on top of him, only for her to cross her wrists in front of her face, and the bracers there deflect the blast, right into another robot that had managed to grab Speedy and had hefted her up. The heat vision completely destroyed the robot.

"Whoa! Good shot Cassie!" called Arsenal where he had been hit by the robot and had been sprawling to the ground.

Harry noticed that the girl paid no heed to the comment or didn't care.

"No more!" she didn't give the robot chance to fire again, sending her fist through its head destroying it.

Harry had turned from her to see one of the last remaining intact robots had cornered Nightwing despite his best acrobatics and Harry had shifted forward to intervene only to hear Wonder Girl's shout of rage.

And a glowing rope wrapped around the robot above Nightwing, "You won't hurt anyone else!" She clenched her fists on the rope as a loud KRAKOOM echoed through the air and lightning exploded from on the robot cause the entire thing to shatter.

Harry looked around, noticing other people seemed to be checking on one another, picking themselves up from the remains of all the robots, of whom none were still functional.

However his attention was brought back to Wonder Girl as she turned around to face a car behind her as if it had moved.

Harry's eyes focused on the driver's side window as a helmeted head with glowing eyes appeared and spoke in a gravelly voice. "You have finally found it. Don't give the boy your love, but give him your rage and you can save him."

Wonder Girl snarled at the face in the window, "Ares."

"I've told you. The Great Battle is coming. You must be ready if you're going to survive!" the helmeted head told her.

"Get out of here! Leave me alone!" she shouted with tears in her eyes, before she kicked her foot through the window.

"Cassie," Robin's hand landed on her shoulder, only for her to whirl around swing a punch at him. A punch that stopped an inch from his face, and if it had hit would probably have killed him.

"Tim…" She slumped, having realized who she was about to paste, "Oh Tim, I'm… sorry."

"It's okay Cassie," Tim said, enfolding her in a gentle hug with one arm, his other still in a metal sling against his body.

"Donna was killed by one of them… and now Conner..." she stiffened and then hugged Robin weeping softly on his shoulder, "What happened to him, Tim? What happened to Conner?"

Harry landed slowly, not far from them, looking around. He had been wrong earlier. He now knew without a doubt that _this_ is what his parents and their friends had felt like in the last war.

It felt wrong. And Harry hated seeing it. Even on the fringes, having just met these people who all had obviously known each other for some time. He felt it was wrong.

Even with the mask on, he could tell by the look on Robin's face. The other teen felt the same.

 **OooooOoOOoOooooO**

"Lex Luthor?!" Cassie's shrill voice demanded incredulously.

The group had gathered near the exit outside the building and Robin had gotten the attention of the Titans, though some of the other team had drifted over as well.

Harry hadn't gone back inside, he felt… tense he could almost feel something inside of him bubbling and definitely didn't feel like being cooped up at the moment.

Robin had said he had something to tell the rest of the group about Superboy. As that was the person that had hurt Sirius, Harry's attention was more than piqued, though he leaned against a wall as he listened, while the others gathered around Robin.

He had apparently dropped a bombshell on the group, saying bluntly that Superboy was cloned from Lex Luthor.

Even Harry had heard that name despite his ignorance of his very limited world. He had seen enough on the telly to know that Luthor was a big business guy, who had become president of the United States, and then something happened where he had been kicked out. Beyond that Harry hadn't known much else.

However that name seemed to have been like a bomb going off amongst the others as they all looked stunned.

"I thought Conner was cloned from, y'know… Superman." Kid Flash spoke up. His words slow and uncertain, showing just how rattled he was by the news.

"He was!" Robin immediately protested, "Half of his DNA was anyway. He just-"

"When was he going to tell us?!" Cassie demanded incredulously.

"About five minutes before everything went down." Robin said soberly.

"I can't believe you kept this from me." Cassie said, betrayal in her tone as she crossed her arms to glare at Robin.

"You can't shut us out! That's what Batman does!" Kid Flash interjected, his eyes focused on Robin, "Cassie's right, Tim. You should've told us. I thought we were all friends."

"We are." Tim responded immediately. "We never thought… _I_ never thought it'd go this far."

Harry couldn't help but feel sorry for the teen. Robin was standing there taking responsibility for something that hadn't been his call or really his choice, at least not entirely. He was doing it to blunt some of the anger at Superboy, Harry could tell.

He had a brief flash in his mind of himself and Ron standing in a bathroom while Hermione lied and took responsibility to save them from the ire of professors.

"And all the stuff that's going on with the League not trusting one another. Neither did they." Kid Flash followed up, drawing Harry's attention, "We can't be like them. We gotta stick together. Titans Together. Always."

The others around fell silent at that comment, before Bart spoke up once more. "So let's think, we know having Luthor's genetics doesn't mean Conner's a bad guy."

Harry didn't say anything as he processed what they were saying. Apparently the group had some issues with Luthor, that he wasn't privy to at the moment.

"I mean… look at Raven," Bart continued jerking his thumb to point at her, "Her dad's basically Satan."

 _Okay… maybe more than 'some' issues with this Luthor,'_ Harry thought to himself.

"I appreciate the _example,_ Bart." the aforementioned Raven said dryly from beneath her hood.

The older group that had joined, that Harry belatedly remembered Cassie calling the Outsiders were joining the discussion one by one.

"This doesn't explain why he shaved his head and roasted my fur with heat vision." Beast Boy, back in human form ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Not that the Titans aren't used to this. Between the Wilson family of freaks and Terra. We've had our fair share of teammates screwing us over."

Harry flinched at the comment Beast Boy made, though didn't say anything. He didn't notice that Cassie took note of his reaction out of the corner of her eyes but didn't say anything. Nor was he aware that someone else was just as aware of his reaction though did not let on.

"But Superboy?" Beast Boy continued, "There's no way he did this on his own. No way."

"Gar, listen." Arsenal spoke up, looking around. "This isn't just a pair of rogue members we're talking about. This is a _coordinated_ attack _."_

"One that involves the names Brainiac and Luthor." Jade spoke up grimly, she glanced at Shift and amended what she was going to say slightly, "Whether or not it's always been the case and she's been fooling us, or it's something else, we know Brainiac 8 is using Indigo's body at the moment. And now Luthor's name has come up in conjunction with Superboy doing the same thing."

Arsenal nodded in agreement, straightening up decisively, "Which is why the Outsiders should take it from here."

"Roy," Nightwing stepped forward, his shoulders set as he faced Arsenal, "We're not leaving them out of this."

"This is what the Outsiders do," Arsenal disagreed. "We hunt down the Bad Guy. We take them out before they can attack again."

"And did you forget what the Titans do, Arsenal?" challenged Robin as he got in the larger man's face, pointing up at him. "If one of us in in trouble we don't stop until they're not."

"He's right, Roy," added Mia with her hands on her hips glaring at the redhead.

All conversation stopped though when the next voice began to speak.

"Nightwing, you joined the Outsiders because you didn't want it to get personal," Robin turned to focus on the man who had first challenged Roy, "But you know that's not what happened. When you're talking about saving lives, everything you do is personal."

Nightwing flinched as if Robin had struck him, bowing his head.

Harry wondered if the two knew each other fairly well. They had very similar movements and mannerisms and the older man didn't snap the way someone would if that sort of observation were made by anyone but a close friend.

"Our relationships are important." Robin said, "Bart's right. We're not Batman. We're not the Justice League."

"I know that," Nightwing responded, his tone an odd mix of pride and sadness.

"He's my best friend." Robin said firmly. "And he needs help."

For just a moment Harry was struck by the connections and devotion these Teens had to one another. He was reminded of his own friends left behind with a pang in his heart. The friend who had managed to lead a muggleborn exodus out of Great Britain, and the other who had kicked Dumbledore in the balls when he refused to spy on Harry for him. However he didn't have time for further introspection as they were interrupted.

"Help, Robin?" came a deep and arrogant voice from above, with a dismissive and mocking tone.

The entire group, looked as one to see two people in the air floating above them.

One was an adult in his thirties, with a bald head, wearing a green and purple suit that was bulky and had energy coming out of the feet. He had an arrogant smirk on his face and was looking down at them dismissively.

Harry was vividly reminded of a bald Lucius Malfoy or resurrected Voldemort.

Beside him floating in the air, was a teen in black boots, blue jeans with a black shirt and a now familiar S on his chest. The S was red as compared to S on the robots they had fought earlier. And through the S were two cuts. Vertically and horizontally. Harry guessed it was no coincidence it was in the shape of an L.

"Superboy," Luthor said almost amused. "Kill."

BOOOM.

Between one moment and the next Superboy broke the sound barrier as he barreled downward to slam into the ground at superspeed.

There was just one problem.

In another world, the attack would have caught them all off guard, and the silent Superboy would have slammed into the ground, scattering both teams like bowling pins. There would have been only one person present fast enough to follow the attack and Kid Flash didn't have the strength or ability to stop the attack.

Only now, there was someone else present. Someone else who saw the attack coming a mile away and, while he might not have been quite as fast as the Kryptonian, there were numerous other factors that were in Harry's favor beyond the obvious.

He was already prepared for an attack.

Harry had spent too many times around people like Lucius Malfoy and Voldemort not to be on his guard and ready for an instant attack, so Superboy's attempted kamikaze dive into the midst of the gathered heroes came as no surprise to him.

Instead of the ground, Superboy found himself smashing into an equally fast moving Harry Potter.

The impact of the two sent a shockwave that knocked the heroes on the ground back and Luthor in the air back in surprise.

An Unstoppable Force had met an Immovable Object.

Harry and Superboy had their hands clasped together as each pushed forward, Harry was furious that this was the person who had hurt his godfather. He found himself staring up as he strained hard, the flexing of Superboy's muscles showed that he was straining equally as hard though his expression was emotionless. Though Harry noted he was very slowly being pushed back toward the ground.

However, Harry thought it was hard to tell with the boy's eyes continually glowing red.

He had just enough time for that thought to filter into his brain when Superboy fired a blast of heat vision directly into Harry's face.

"Arrrgh!" Harry cried out in agony as pain exploded in his face, he put his hands up to shield his face, and it was more than enough to break his concentration as he was slammed to the ground by Superboy, with a loud BOOM as he was driven into the earth.

However, in the few seconds that Harry gave them, the two groups on the ground had scattered and spread out so that singular attack wouldn't hit them all, and managed to mount a response.

"What did you do to Conner, Luthor?" Beast boy demanded shifting into a Pterodactyl and flying up at the man in the green suit while Arsenal and Speedy both fired at him.

The suit deflecting the shots with a shield, and Luthor barely seemed moved, having recovered from his brief initial surprise as he said mockingly, "I said the magic words."

"And my _son_ finally showed his true colors." Luthor waved a hand and blasted both Beast Boy and Arsenal

"You're like every other demon I've met Luthor." Raven spat as dark energy rose in the form of a bird toward the unmoved man. "You believe you deserve to be worshipped."

"Not worshipped, Raven." Luthor corrected, with righteous indignation in his tone, "I could stop famine. Cure cancer. My mind is capable of anything!"

Then his expression tightened in frustration, as his voice became slightly unhinged for a moment, "But none of that can happen as long as Superman takes up my time! None of it!" He turned his focus and blasted a bolt of green energy through the dark energy sending Raven flying back.

 **OooooOoOOoOooooO**

Harry's face was a ball of agony and at the moment he was completely blind. He had taken that blast directly head on. However he was more focused on prying the fingers off his neck as they tried to squeeze the life out of him. He had enough of a breath to be fine for a bit, but the pressure was preventing blood flow to his brain and he was struggling to loosen it.

"Take him down Bart," Robin demanded moving forward toward the crater where Superboy and Harry had slammed down in

"I want to try to talk to him first." Bart sped toward the newly formed crater.

"Then talk fast," Robin said, they could always try reaching him if they could secure him. They weren't going to try talking at the expense of someone's life.

Bart hadn't waited for a response as he sped forward into the crater and Harry's aid. He was moving at superspeed repeatedly pushed and tugged at Superboy who was attempting to strangle a half-conscious Harry Potter, whose face and head were still obscured by smoke.

"They say memory might be inherited, possibly basic traits," Kid Flash commented as Superboy released Harry and turned to try and deal with this new distraction. "But no one controls you but you."

Harry collapsed to the ground breathing deeply his hands going to his burning head as he tried to cope with a pain on the level of one of Voldemort's crucio's. He wasn't even aware of anything going on around him.

"C'mon Conner," Kid Flash pleaded as he continued avoiding Superboy's attempts to grab him, "Outta every one of us, you're the one that never just did what someone said to do. You're the rebel!"

"So _rebel_!" Kid Flash shifted and found himself without ground to stand on as Superboy had lifted off the ground, and found himself hanging on his back as Superboy suddenly plowed away at superspeed and full bore through a dump truck and into a wall.

Kid Flash couldn't react and crumbled to the ground in a fetal position, though his body was already healing from the injuries at superspeed. Superboy turned to finish him only to be distracted by another voice.

"Remember what you told me on our trip to the future, Conner. We can change it," Robin's voice called out as he threw a batarang toward Superboy. He tried to jog the teen's memory about their conversation after the entire group had traveled to the future and found themselves face to face with twisted and dark versions of their future selves.

Conner had been the one who had been so sure that they could fix it.

Superboy barely shifted positions and crushed the batarang in his fist before a smack sent Robin rolling along the ground.

Kid Flash sat up, his super speed allowing him to recover, even as Superboy advanced on Robin.

"Bart!" Cassie shouted, getting the speedster's attention, before handing the boy a part of her lasso. "Put this around him!"

"What will it-" Bart started to ask as he grabbed it.

"Do it, Bart. And run away from him. Far away." Cassie cut him off with a resolute expression.

Bart didn't need to be told twice, speeding in front of Superboy as he approached a Robin who was getting up slowly. He wrapped it around Superboy's arms and body and then grabbed Robin and bolted.

"I don't want to get mad at you." Cassie said with tears in her eyes as she stared at the bound Superboy who was even now freeing himself, "But I _have_ to. I can't feel sorry for you. You're my enemy."

"This… this is war!" she snarled as she held up the rope and lightning exploded from it completely engulfing Superboy with a thunderous KRAKOOOM! Not once but several times.

After the fourth lightning strike the light faded and there was a cry of pain, from the scorched ground "Aaaa!"

That snagged the attention of everyone near enough to hear it.

At the same time Mia slipped away from her perch where she had been prepared to be the next in line to distract Superboy and sprinted to the crater Harry and Superboy had initially impacted, hurrying to check on Harry.

She skidded down the wall of the crater to where she could see Harry curled up. Steam still rose from the area of his head. He seemed completely unaware of her presence, as she reached for him. "Harry, it's me…"

When her hand touched his shoulder he spun around, causing her to jerk back, his hands still partially covering his face. She could see blackened and charred skin, she absently noted that some of it was flaking off and there was fresh skin underneath. . But what arrested her attention was his eyes. They were twin pools of green flame that licked around his fingers.

"Harry?" Speedy asked hesitantly.

 **OooooOoOOoOooooO**

"Conner?" Wonder Girl said hesitantly approaching the area she had just caused a magical explosion on.

"Cassie…" Out of the smoke crawled Superboy, blood leaking from his eyes, his skin scorched and smoking. "Cassie... I never… wanted to hurt anyone." His voice was rough and came out slowly.

"Get… get away from me," he waved her off and then his voice turned pleading when he continued, "Please… I saw it… I saw it all. I'm… a monster."

"No… You're not." Cassie responded as tears poured out of her eyes and she cradled the injured boy against her. He closed his eyes and curled slightly against the girl

However, their respite was noted by others, and as Luthor dismissively batted away Grace who had been thrown at him, sending her sprawling, he projected over his speakers. "Aut Vincere Aut Mori!"

Conner's eyes flashed open once more filled with the red burning energy of his heat vision as he pushed away from Wonder Girl and stood up.

"Conner?" Wonder Girl asked hesitantly, taking a step back from the no longer responsive Superboy. She opened her mouth to say more only to be cut off as a purple metallic hand closed around the back of her throat and jerked her in the air.

"My turn with the Wonder Rag," a female metallic voice stated loudly gathering the attention of everyone there as Superboy obediently floated up to hover next to Luthor whose smirk grew as his allies had arrived.

They turned to see a woman with robin egg blue skin that showed purple cybernetics glowing beneath it, pink hair and purple armguards, leg guards and body armor. Her eyes were glowing red and on her forehead was a triangle with three red circles at each point.

"I killed Donna Troy to save the Future." The robotic voice screamed, angrily at the gathered Titans, "I suffered humiliation as that sweet, innocent robotic idiot!"

"She's not an idiot!" Shift said as he floated up to confront Indigo, or as she claimed to be Brainiac 8, his entire form gaseous. "Stop this… please!" He pleaded.

"Oh I will, lover." The robotic voice turned into a robotic purr, "You just have to do one little thing."

Behind her out of the sky floated a giant robotic floating skull, made out of purple metal and green glowing eyes. Brainiac, the original operated the miniature ship from inside and hovered there without saying anything.

Wonder Girl struggled futilely to pull the claws off of her neck as Indigo held her aloft, her voice a challenge. "Kill me."

"Indigo, please… stop this. This isn't you." pleaded Shift once more as he stared at the woman in front of him.

"That's the basic problem, isn't it?" Indigo said dropping the coughing Wonder Girl to the ground. "I'm not Indigo, nor was I ever."

"That's… that's not possible," Shift's eyes went wide and he staggered back a step, as he protested "That isn't true…"

"Possible. True. Occurring. Actuating." she replied in a cruel voice, "I am not Indigo. I am Brainiac 8. If you want to stop me, you'll have to kill me."

BRREEE-OOOM! An explosive sound rocked out as an energy blast hit Indigo in the back sending her sprawling.

"Okay," Starfire said, floating in the air bathed in orange energy, the same kind that had just blasted Indigo. "That sounds like a plan."

"Everyone fan out!" Nightwing ordered, his attention split between Luthor and Superboy floating in the air, and the giant skull shaped ship, operated by Brainiac, and the just blasted Brainiac 8, as he moved up behind the resuscitated Starfire, "If we're in tight together, we're an easy target."

"You heard the man, move!" Robin reinforced, batarangs in his hands as the teams spread out as ordered.

"We seem to have lost Superboy to the dark side again!" Beast Boy commented as he in his gorilla form slammed into the giant floating skull containing Brainiac right next to Grace.

"That's the trouble with boy scouts! They're an easy mark for givin' into 'sin'!" She commented as the two forced a hole in the metal skull revealing the humanoid form of Brainiac, "Hey Brain-Boy! Got room for two more in there?"

"No. But your corpses will not impede my path," the voice responded, anger in the robotic tone. He shot two lasers from his eyes directly at Beast Boy only for them to disperse harmlessly on a shield of green energy that was suddenly there as another piece of his floating ship was shorn off.

"How about we seal you up in your big flying metal head and send you back into space?!" Jade demanded as she tossed away a large chunk of his skull ship.

"I think not." Brainiac replied, sickly pink and black energy shooting from his hands and forcing Jade backwards with a grunt, as he focused his energy on trying to break her shield "I am more inclined to scorch the earth until the organic matter boils off your bones!"

"Wow, pompous and disgusting!" Thunder said as she was born aloft toward the robot by Starfire, who picked her up by her hands. "Faster, Starfire, I've got to hit him hard."

"Are you certain you can do this?" Starfire answered, her fire burning a trail behind them as they streaked toward Brainiac.

"Yeah, when I want to be, I'm invulnerable!" Thunder replied as Starfire let go just as they streaked by Brainiac. "And weigh SIX TONS!" she shouted as she increased her mass as much as possible and slammed into Brainiac's back with the impact of a freight train.

"So let's see how much force the Terminator here, can handle!" she shouted as they plummeted off the skull ship to the ground with a KRAKOOOM, creating another giant crater from the huge impact.

"More than you'll ever imagine." replied Brainiac as he blasted her in the face with sickly pink energy.

"Oh, but I've got a pretty good imagination!" Thunder snarled taking the blast, her body smoking afterward, her blond wig disintegrating under the blast leaving her short dark hair present.

TWWWEEEEEEE a sudden high pitched shrieking sound hit Thunder from the side.

"AIEEEE!" She cried out in agony, blood bursting from her nose, mouth and eyes as she put her hands to her ears to try and stop the onslaught.

"You _all_ say you have invulnerability." Luthor commented in an amused tone. "And yet here I am dropping you to your knees with a simple sonic disruptor. But… I guess this comment is falling on 'deaf ears'. Hmmm?" He taunted the clearly insensate Thunder as Brainiac pushed her off him.

"I heard you fine, Luthor! Want to try taking on someone who's facing you?" Arsenal called as he charged and chucked a miniature object at Luthor who destroyed it with a blast from his other gauntlet causing it to blow up in midair.

"My, so many heroes. Look at all the pretty colors, son." Luthor commented with amusement in his tone and a grin on his face, and then after a pause, "Why don't you thin out the herd?"

Superboy who hadn't moved hovering at his side blasted forward, fists in front of him.

"Aw hell." Arsenal froze reaching for his belt

"Stop!" Cassie demanded as she slammed into Superboy from behind, he whirled to face her. Eyes glowing red. "Superboy, please!"

"You were yourself again, you know who you are!" Cassie pleaded as they wrestled in the sky "Conner for God's sake, please remember who you are!"

As he prepared to hit her, his fist froze.

She brightened with hope, "Conner?"

BOOM!

"Aarrgh!" Wonder Girl cried out as she was blasted in the back while Superboy pulled his arm from her grasp with a disdainful expression on his face.

"Yes, this seems to be your Achilles heel, Conner." Luthor stated, his arm held up and several cannons that had emerged from his suit were smoking from recent use. "Don't worry son, we'll get rid of her."

Luthor focused his explosive power of his blasts where Wonder Girl remained collapsed on the ground. "We will kill her and the rest of the Titans and then the Outsiders and then nothing will stand in our way."

"Conner!" Cassie pleaded as she tried to push up from the combination energy and explosive onslaught. "Con-"

BOOM.

BOOM.

Two powerful explosions one after another.

The first sent Conner rocketing out of the sky and into the ground, forming another crater.

The second hit Luthor and sent him flying backward as he re-oriented on the new threat.

Harry Potter.

His pants were intact, but the rest of his clothes were once more rags. However he didn't care. He felt rage. His magic was surging inside of him. His eyes, much like Superboy's had burnt with power, only his glowed with green and white flame. The hair on his head was short, like he had just gone to a barber. Pieces of skin were still blackened from Superboy's attack, while some flaked off to show unburnt and healed skin beneath, giving his face an odd patchwork look at the moment.

"No heroes die here today," Harry stated in response to Luthor's last comment as he floated forward.

"You will be the first to die," Luthor raised his gauntlet to fire at Harry only to get blasted straight backward to tumble head over heels, flipping and rolling along the ground from the impact that his suit's telemetry hadn't expected or prepared to compensate for.

"Bad bald man shall not harm Harry Potter!" Dobby's voice called out, completely unheard by the tumbling Lex Luthor.

Harry actually froze for a moment in disbelief. He blinked several times in disbelief, in the process, the flames in his eyes flickered out, revealing his normal eyes briefly before the odd flames sparked once more. And he wasn't the only one staring at Dobby. Wonder Girl, Raven, Kid Flash, Robin, and Speedy, all of whom had been nearby and converging on Luthor had stopped to stare at the little elf.

"Dobby," Harry said, getting the elf's attention. He wasn't sure why the little being had chosen to intervene now, but Harry also was relatively certain Dobby had only made an impact because he had caught Luthor off guard. "Go protect Sirius."

Dobby looked up at Harry for only a moment before disappearing with a pop.

Harry turned and floated down to where Cassie was weakly pushing herself up to stand. He gave her a hand up and she stared when she looked at him. "Harry?"

"Are you… okay?" she asked staring at him, his eyes still burning with green and white flame.

"Let me get back to you on that," Harry looked down at his hands for a moment. "What about you?"

"Yeah, I recover quickly. Where's Conner?" She shook herself and looked around rapidly her voice filling with fear. "He isn't… you didn't…"

Harry turned away and pointed over at the newly formed crater. He didn't answer, instead taking to the air, with Wonder Girl and several of the Teen Titans on his heels.

He flew in cautiously, expecting to be attacked, but only found an unconscious Superboy laying at the bottom of the crater.

Robin somehow had skidded to the bottom first, his hand going to Superboy's neck checking for a pulse.

"He's alive, just unconscious." He answered everyone's unasked question, before turning to Harry, his brow twisted in curiosity, "What did you do to him?"

"I hit him in the stomach?" Harry's response was half question half answer, responding since the question was asked honestly and didn't seem to be accusing, "I was more concerned with getting Baldy off of Cassie, so it was just supposed to get him away for a moment, though I did add a stunning charm to my fist."

"Stunning charm?" Robin looked up quickly, "Magic?"

"Yeah… I didn't have time to think of anything else." Harry nodded in response. Seeing their expressions, he expanded a bit, "Well, I thought it might daze him at least a little. And even if I could be certain that I was able to do so without a hitch, I wasn't going to hit him with something more serious if he was being controlled. Like I told Baldy, no heroes die here today. Why?"

"Because Superboy is just as vulnerable to magic as any normal person." Kid Flash commented.

Harry blinked once more reading the agreement on the faces of the teens around him, "I suddenly feel I was denied critical need-to-know information."

Before anyone could respond an explosion went off not far away, signaling the battle wasn't over.

"Cassie, get Conner to the med facilities," Robin ordered already turning to sprint towards the rest of the battle. The Titans didn't hesitate to follow his orders, rejoining the fight.

She nodded and picked up the unconscious teen, flying him away and toward the medical facility less than a mile away from the heart of the battle. Harry took to the air in the opposite direction focusing on the battle that still continued against the robotic Brainiac, the female formerly known as Indigo, as well as a combat suit wearing Lex Luthor.

"On them now," Brainiac's robotic voice called out in a commanding tone. "They are weakening!"

"He's not wrong about that! We're hurting them but it's not taking any-" Arsenal called to Nightwing as he dodged a blast from Luthor throwing several explosives at the man in the green suit in return.

"I know," Nightwing responded, leaping a blast from Brainiac and then ducking under an additional round from Indigo. "Kory! You need to take care of this!"

"I'm doing what I can. I-" Starfire started to reply only to be cut off as Nightwing grabbed her.

"No. You're not!" he shouted, pulling them both under a blast and behind a concrete barrier. "You're holding back. Like always!"

"Dick, I can't… just… it's too-" she protested.

"No, there isn't any time. There isn't room for debate," he said, nose to nose with her, "You know what has to be done. Do it!"

She looked down, then up once more, features set in a scowl as she clenched her fist, energy boiling in it. "Clear the field… I'll be in the air." She blasted straight up in a streak of orange and black fire.

"Nightwing, what's going on, why is-" Robin started to ask as he reached the battle, rolling behind the barrier.

"Tell them to run," Nightwing cut him off.

"What?" Robin demanded. "I just ordered them here!"

"Tell your team to get as far away from the blast zone as fast as they can!" He reiterated urgently, before his voice raised in a shout, "Everybody run!"

Koriand'r floated above the battlefield. Her senses singing. From the alien planet Tamaran. She took the name of Starfire. Like a star itself, she is many things. She is beautiful and nurturing. She gives warmth and light. She also wields power that defies measure and imagination.

And so, like a star she can bring great destruction.

The Titans and Outsiders fell back, with Kid Flash helping to clear the zone in a matter of a few seconds.

"Damn them." Luthor looked up, as he realized what was about to happen, his face a cast of rage, "Damn them all to hell."

BA-DOOM.

A light brighter than the sun slammed down into the floating ship, directly impacting Brainiac and smashing through to the ground below.

The light continued for several long seconds, before flickering and dying out. Only one of the heroes noticed the woman who had just caused the explosion in the air trembling and then passing out, entering free fall toward the ground.

Then again, Harry was closer to the blast than the others. He hadn't noticed the call to retreat until almost too late. He had been hovering above prepared to plow into Luthor when he got an opening. Harry could feel himself tremble with anger at the man who had been holding control over the helpless teen who he had turned into a near mindless beast that caused his godfather to be injured.

Harry had been high enough in the air to see Starfire as she faltered as the blast dissipated, and he flew towards her without a second thought to save her from plummeting helplessly into the ground. Once caught, he took one look at her before deciding to remove her from the battlefield. He carried her quickly back to the medical facilities, still absolutely stunned into silence at the explosion of energy he'd seen the woman in his arms produce.

Absently, he hoped Sirius seriously didn't ever piss this chick off. He wasn't sure his godfather would survive.

Something inside him still felt like he wasn't done, but he wasn't going to just drop her on the field somewhere. No one else had even moved to aid her, so he felt it was his responsibility to make sure she was okay.

"Wow…" Robin uttered, in front of the group, staring at the devastation and the crumpled remains of Brainiac's floating ship. "What happened?"

"Starfire happened," Nightwing answered.

"And you broke up with her?" Robin asked in disbelief.

"Err… yeah…" Nightwing answered running a hand through his hair. ""Like two years ago… sort of."

"I have never met a braver man," Robin commented, before looking back at Brainiac's ship. "I guess that ends that."

"Yes! Today will mark the end!" a female voice called, "You will all die! Die, so me and my kind will flourish!"

Blackened in spots, her armor cracked in places but still looking fully functional, Indigo-Brainiac 8 hovered in the air. "This universe- this plane of existence is our domain! We will have it!" she shouted her eyes flaring red.

"I think we got her mad!" Kid Flash said already in motion.

"What was your first clue?" Speedy demanded nocking an arrow and firing.

"Air support! Take her now!" Nightwing called, tapping his communicator, "Kory, where are you?"

"I don't see her!" Jade's voice came back, "It's just me and Raven!"

"We will manage." Raven said calmly.

They work as one. All of them. Fighting together.

Bound together by fate, by blood, by choice. The next generation of heroes. The young ones the sidekicks raised or trained under the watchful eye of the world's greatest protectors, and likely destined to one day assume that very same mantle, hit Brainiac 8 in Indigo's body with everything they could

Indigo's body fell to the ground.

"Come in tight! We need to finish her!" Nightwing called as they all converged on her, focusing energy, and explosives and anything they had in their arsenals.

"No… you will not finish me! I have not crawled across centuries… millennia... To be hobbled by a gaggle of half-ape mutations!" The robotic woman protested trying to bolster her faltering shield to withstand the assault. "You creatures of flesh!"

"You will feel the fire inside those meat husks you call bodies!" she cried out and exploded in fire and sound forcing the heroes back.

Only to be cut off by the hissing sound of extinguishing flames.

"No more!" Shift cried out having converted his body into chemicals to destroy and extinguish her flames, "You have to end this Indigo! I know you can hear me! Fight through it! Fight and come back to me!"

Her red eyes flickered to a softer pink glow and tears brimmed as he held her trapped after stopping the fire. "Kill me…" She asked as she slumped to the ground.

"Indy, is that? Are you..?" he asked in a combination of hope and concern, not completely releasing her from his hold.

"It's me… we don't have much time! Destroy me before she-" Indigo pleaded, as the other heroes moved in cautiously.

They didn't close in, holding their positions a few yards away, all of them were still ready to attack at a moment's notice. Wonder Girl and Harry both hovered in the air as they listened.

Harry was watching intently, his face set in a scowl.

"No!" Shift responded in desperation, gripping her shoulders, in a much more normal hold, "If you have control we-"

"I don't have control!" Indigo responded in fear, looking up at Shift, "I found one pathway back, and was able to seize higher function, because she was weak! But sh- she's fighting her way back!"

"I will not be able to do this again! She's going to block it and-!" Her tone was becoming more strained.

Shift picked her up, pulling her close and cradling her on his lap as tears were in his own eyes, "Indy, we can find a way to"

"No! No! No! You're not listening!" she pleaded frantically, "This was their plan all along! I have access to all of their files now. Everything they hid from me! To come back into the past and murder Donna Troy so she could never bring about the fall of their race, the fall of Colu!"

"But time... It's fluid! They weren't sure it worked so they created me as a program inside Brainiac 8!" The teal colored robot shook her head rapidly as she clung to Shift.

"But... you're real!" Shift protested, he looked for help from any of the heroes standing around. They all looked grim and pained, but resolute.

"I had to be! I had to be. So she could hide among you!" Indigo was crying freely now, "You all had to believe her... To believe me."

"But if this really you, and you're real-" Shift protested once more his voice getting more desperate.

"Yes, but... You have to end this. She won't stop. She will keep-" Indigo said as her face scrunched up in concentration.

"Stop talking about destr-" Shift tried to order her only to be cut off.

"She'll make me watch! She's a monster and she'll murder you, and the Outsiders and the Titans and everyone else in her way! And she'll keep me trapped inside her watching it all happen!" Indigo snapped terror and anger fighting for prevalence on her face, "Do you know how many she... That… how many I have killed? Whole worlds, Shift. Billions… that's what I am."

She put her hands on his chest, tears running freely down her face, "Please…Shift, don't make me watch. I don't want to kill any more. Please… let me go as I am. As I want to be…not as a passenger in a monster's head, helpless to do anything as she destroys everything I care about." her pleading voice weeping.

There was a long pause as tears ran down Shift's face now, "How… how do I?" He put his hand on the back of her head reassuringly.

"You _know._ It's... how I want to be…" she looked up at him with a sad smile.

"Human…" Shift nodded slowly. They had talked about it so many times, it was her one desire, and the one thing she knew separated her from anything Brainiac. She wanted to be biological.

Shift knew he could do it; transmute her body into biological material. But while he could change the composition of her body, he couldn't give her life. She would die in the process.

Her looked in her eyes and nodded slowly, then her expression shifted and she seemed suddenly at peace, "I love you."

He seemed to flinch and then nod, "I love you, too..."

Shift's hand on her chest glowed as he transmuted her body from robotic to flesh and blood. "Goodbye..." he whispered as her eyes changed to lifelessness.

She slumped in his arms, her body falling slack.

However, before he could move, before Shift could lift her to carry her out as he intended, before anyone could move forward to offer comfort, a voice was heard, sending shivers down the spine of every person present.

" _ **Hold.**_ "

The voice was Harry's, but it was laced with something primal, unrecognizable, and completely alien to every ear that heard it. Those who could move, which took a monumental level of effort, were able to barely turn their heads to see Harry Potter land on the ground.

He had been watching the entire event, his focus was on Shift and Indigo, their expressions and emotions they displayed were real and genuine. They loved each other and Indigo had just sacrificed herself to stop a monster.

He wished there was something he could do, even if he didn't totally understand the situation. And as much as some of the heroes around him attempted to hide it, he could tell he wasn't the only one who felt that way.

It wasn't _right_.

He had wished he could do something. Anything.

Then suddenly he wasn't in control of his own body anymore.

He landed heavily, his movements were disjointed, almost as if he had forgotten how to walk or he wasn't in control and there was someone else in the driver's seat. His eyes burned with a white light that was as blinding as the explosion Starfire had dropped on top of Luthor and Brainiac. If anyone had been able to see his eyes directly, they would have seen the shapes of Ankhs in place of his irises.

As he approached Shift, holding Indigo's now lifeless body, Harry's body awkwardly shifted to take a knee, and then he reached forward with one hand. As every witness struggled to move, uncertain as to what was happening, an otherworldly voice spoke once more.

This one was no less primal or alien, but it was certainly female in nature. However, the sound did not come from Harry as his lips didn't move, but from everywhere around them.

" _ **As My Master commands. No heroes shall die here today.**_ "

As the voice finished, Harry's hand was placed atop Shift's, which was still above Indigo's unbeating human heart.

If it was conceivable, an even brighter burst of white erupted from his hand, searing the image of a despairing Shift holding the human body of Indigo into every one of their minds before the landscape whited out.

There was silence, as no one could see and they all refused to move. Every last person present was temporarily blinded by what had occurred, as the light grew and grew, able to be seen through even shut eyes, arms covering faces, or lenses in masks trying to compensate for bright lights.

 **"Rise."**

The light peaked with this command that penetrated each of them, before the light and presence abruptly went out as quickly as it began.

The heroes blinked out the blindness as they looked around to find all three in the same position. Harry kneeling on the ground, with his hand over Shift's hand which was over Indigo's heart.

The trio of people the group was gathered around looked completely frozen for one long moment before there was a gasp and Indigo's lifeless body spasmed and her eyes opened wide as she drew in a breath of air.

At the same time Harry Potter toppled to the side, completely unconscious.

 **OooooOoOOoOooooO**

Harry woke with a start. He looked around wildly trying to figure out where he was. It took him a second to realize that he was on a beach. He was thoroughly confused because the last thing he remembered was definitely not being on a beach. In fact he had been in another fight and was watching two people he barely knew go through hell. One sacrificing herself to stop a monster inside her, and another forced to kill someone he loved.

As his mind filtered in more details, Harry realized it wasn't a beach he had ever seen before. He knew that instantly because he turned to look in all directions and the beach stretched as far as his eyes could see, and there wasn't a single person to be seen. The sun was setting on the horizon and was pitching the sky in hues of red and orange.

"It really is beautiful," a feminine voice came from behind him causing him to jump and whirl around.

Where a moment before he had just seen completely empty beach now strode a girl. She looked around his age, maybe a little bit older, she had dark hair down to her midback, and very pale, nearly white skin. She was dressed in a black bikini, though she wore a black sarong around her waist, along with an odd looking umbrella and sunglasses. Curiously she also wore black gloves. Around her neck on a silver chain was a silver ankh.

"Where am I?" Harry demanded and then belatedly seem to remember a semblance of manners. "Who are you?"

"You are nowhere, at least if you mean here," the girl answered, her voice earnest as she regarded Harry, "As for who I am? There are many answers for that question."

"I'd settle for just one." Harry countered.

"No, you won't," The woman replied.

"Try me," Harry responded, a trace of caution to his tone.

The woman smiled and inclined her head, "I am your devoted servant, _Master."_

For just a moment Harry had a mental image of Dobby, but Dobby never made the word 'master' sound like that, and he damn sure didn't look like the girl he was talking to. Still, Harry was not his godfather and thus did not completely lose sight of the important things when confronted with an attractive woman. He regarded the woman before he looked somewhat sheepish, "Okay, you're right. I do need a bit more than that."

She smiled and took off her sunglasses. Harry noted that she had an odd, although vaguely familiar symbol near her eye, and that her eyes were black enough that it was impossible to tell the difference between the iris and the pupil. "That will take a bit of explaining. Do you mind if we sit?"

She didn't really wait for him to answer, instead shifting to sit down on the sand and then draw her legs up underneath herself.

After a moment of hesitation Harry did the same. He was uncertain of what was going on but the woman didn't exactly give off dangerous vibes. Strange vibes, yes, but not dangerous ones.

"I am Death," she stated without preamble.

Harry froze for only a moment, he glanced over at her and then back at the ocean, "So, I'm dead for real this time then?" He wasn't certain how to feel about that. Disappointment perhaps? But not crushingly so. However her response distracted him from dwelling too far on it."

Death laughed, a soft tinkling sound, and shook her head quickly, "No, not at all. You just… unintentionally did something rather unexpected, in part because of something I did to you. I decided that we needed to have a little chat somewhat sooner than I planned."

Harry blinked several times as he processed that statement. "I'm not sure whether to ask what I did, or what you did."

"What I did, was declare you my master." Death responded, her tone becoming serious.

Harry tried to process that slowly. "You… are Death. Like… _Death_ … and you made me your master?"

She merely regarded him and simply nodded.

"Why would you do something like that?" Harry asked, turning to look at the girl who shifted her own attention from the waves ahead of them, back to him.

"It's a bit of a long story, and due to certain restrictions, I can't tell you it in its entirety," Death replied, then continued knowing he would want to hear at least some of it. "But, suffice to say… another or several others who will have access to a shard of my power had the potential to use it to encroach upon that which has ever been my domain."

"It's already happening. Tom Riddle anchoring himself to this plane was just an example," a scowl crossed her face, "There are more of those like him out there who flaunt Death, whose existence should have ended long ago."

"But there are still others out there seek my power, through embracing me in the hopes of harnessing it, or attempting to find the anti-life equation, which contains a small fragment of my power," she reached down to trace her fingers in the sand slowly. "I looked into Destiny's Book of Souls, and saw the line weaken between Life and Death and the boundary be violated by half of existence."

"While some back and forth across that line is acceptable, even expected, this creature took it to a degree completely beyond any realm of acceptability." Death scowled now, her head lifting to stare into Harry's eyes, "And worse is when the fabric of existence is violated as well. Where uncounted billions of sentient beings are given the punishment fit only for the very worst of sentient beings out there. The ones whose very existence was so foul they should be cleansed for the good of all realms."

"Death?" Harry ventured a guess at the punishment.

"No, Death is just another step in a journey. As you saw with your parents." the pale skinned teen replied negatively, though her tone was no less firm. "No, Death is not the worst punishment, but _erasing_ their existence completely and utterly, so they have no next step. They have no past or future."

Harry looked away as he contemplated that, his eyes going out to the ocean, the sight weaving its familiar calming spell over him as he thought what she was saying. He understood at least some of what she was saying, but he glanced back over at her and a thought occurred to him. "But… you're Death… You have to be powerful. Can't you… you know… stop them?"

"I am one of the most powerful beings in existence. Maybe _the_ most powerful," Death responded evenly. "However, I cannot."

"Why not?" Harry asked after a small pause.

"Because, like my siblings, I have long been bound to a complex set of rules and customs. They prevent me from acting directly in a large number of ways," Death explained.

"Siblings?" Harry asked, before the rest of her statement filtered in, "Rules?"

"My siblings and I make up the Endless. Myself, Destiny, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair and Delirium." Death answered, her tone patient. "As for the rules, well… I could keep you here for what seemed like millennia explaining the complex rules that bind us. Suffice it to say it keeps me from interfering directly."

"But," she continued while closing her heavily shadowed eyes, "With the potential of being rendered impotent, I had to take a risk. I could not gamble all of existence on the possibility that this upcoming threat would be averted, that the people searching aspects of my power would be stopped… and that those souls I watched at birth will not be there to take the next step in the journey. So I did the one thing that Destiny didn't and couldn't predict."

She opened her eyes to look up at him, "I chose a Master of my own will and volition." A trace of her otherworldly nature came into her gaze and almost overwhelmed Harry with the impact of the Entity's declaration.

"Why me?" Harry asked, a trace of plaintiveness in his voice. "Out of everyone in the world, _why me?_ "

"Several reasons. The first being that it's in the magic of your family." Death answered, resting her cheek on her knees as she regarded him, "I have long watched the Peverell line. Because they were touched so closely by me, they have long been close to the aspects of life and death. Three brothers. Three lines. One died without offspring. The other two were every contentious and opposed one another. Slytherin and Gryffindor. Potter and Gaunt."

"Tom Riddle was able to do more with his soul than anyone before because of his instinctive understanding of death granted through the magic of his family." Death said with a regretful sigh, "After your mother's sacrifice to protect you destroyed the body of Tom Riddle, you became the final remaining direct descendant _by magic_. You may not have the same blood, but your father adopted into the magic of the Potter line, and thus it passed on to you. Protection and violation of the soul… always pitted against each other."

"But it's more than that. Because you had come into contact two pieces of my power I'd left in your world, and I have managed to see the Book of Souls. If the current timeline had proceeded without any intervention from myself, you would have come into contact with all three keys. Afterwards, you would have rejected them, believing no one should have that sort of power, forever destroying one potential path for dominion over myself." Death said quietly, "The ability to turn away from that power was a strength not even your forebear possessed."

"And you would do the same yourself now," Death said more softly still, and for the first time a pensive look crossed her face as she examined him.

"If I knew how to I would this very second!" Harry responded immediately.

"Why?" Death asked, her tone still calm and filled with acceptance, yet Harry could _feel_ her focus on his coming answer.

"Why shouldn't I? Even if this is all real, I don't want to be your Master!" Harry pushed up to his feet in an expression of frustration and turned to glare down at her angrily, "I don't want that sort of power, I have never wanted to be some… sort of god!"

"You will not be a god." Death responded, her tone even and steady as she looked up at him, "You may stand among them, perhaps sooner than you imagine, but you will not be a god. In some ways you will be more and in some ways less. You are something unique in all of creation."

Harry flinched, visibly. This… would be another reason he was different. A freak. Another reason for people to use him, fear him, _despise_ him. Now, instead of being powerful Wizard, and a ridiculously strong alien, he was would also be paired with the primordial entity known as Death.

He thought briefly of the acceptance he had gotten, ever so briefly from the Teen Titans, Mia's easygoing attitude, Cassie's openness, Raven's calm curiosity, Bart's energetic exuberance. This… would send that all out the window. It would be like being back at Hogwarts with everyone keeping him at arm's length. He didn't even understand it all, or need to understand it all to know that much.

"I will not lie to you." Death sighed as she looked up at him, "This is not an easy burden I have laid on your shoulders. Few could bear it. To enforce the boundary, to stop people from simply being erased… you may need to pass judgement on someone deserving that fate yourself. Destroying their very essence rather than let them pollute everything. And many of your companions, will not always understand the duty I have placed upon you."

"There is also the times you may need to end the life of a real and true threat," she added, looking expectantly at his expression.

Harry's expression turned to one of confusion at that comment, he had learned that sometimes, in extreme cases that was the only answer.

"Many… _heroes_ do not approve of killing in any form," Death emphasized. "For many reasons such as the ideal that it makes them no better than their foes, or that they must hold themselves to a higher standard, but they _will not kill_."

"Sometimes it's the only way…" Harry commented distractedly, the image of Voldemort and Lucius had flickered through his mind as he spoke. "It shouldn't be easy to do or a first resort but sometimes… there is no other option..."

"Some of your heroes may not understand that, believing that most evil should just be jailed, that there is hope for even the hopeless. Even when the prisons of mortals repeatedly do not contain them, exacerbating the problems they face they continue to spit in the eye of the truths that so many others do not have the power or ability to ignore," Death smiled sadly, in her office she could not help but know each death that could have been prevented...or that was meant to happen.

"I'm not advocating just killing anyone and everyone," Harry defended himself hastily, only to see Death shake her head.

"I know. You do not have to explain yourself to anyone, least of all me," Death responded reassuringly, a gentle but urgent smile crossing her lips, "But I promise you I would not lie nor will I attempt to deceive you. You could pass on the position, freeing yourself and I in the process. But I ask… I _plead_ with you not to."

"Why not?" Harry demanded challengingly his emerald gaze searching her visage for any hint of duplicity or manipulation, "What if I don't want to become some grim reaper who has to go around killing people for the sake of some...some... _Greater Good_?"

"It is not just about killing people. It is about saving them too, sometimes in ways I never could have expected," Death smile broadened as she returned his stare unflinchingly, "As demonstrated through how you've already used your dominion over me to change the course of a life, without killing anyone."

"How?" Harry asked slowly after her statements began to sink into his mind, afraid to anger this being who said he'd already done something with her power. When she patted the sand beside her, Harry hesitated a few moments before he sank down beside her once more, "I don't remember doing anything."

Her dark eyes twinkled a moment before waving her hand, and an image of Indigo appeared before them, she was staring in disbelief up at the man who still held her in his arms. Her expression shifted as if in slow motion and she smiled tearfully up at a completely stunned and befuddled looking Shift. An instant later, the image was frozen and hovering there as Harry stared at it.

"That being, Indigo, did not possess a soul. She was technically alive however, had she died, she would merely have stopped existing." Death explained sedately, "The being you were recently introduced to, known as Shift, had the power of transmutation, but understood very well that, while he could transmute inorganic material to organic material, he did not possess the power to grant his creation actual life."

"You, on the other hand," Death said, raising a finger and poking him lightly in the arm with a smile, "Saw life where others might not. You despaired at the injustice of a noble sacrifice performed by a technological entity who wanted to live but could not bear to hurt the ones it had designated as friends."

Then, Death's smile grew beatific, "Then, you did the unthinkable… without knowing, you subconsciously tapped into my powers to deny this loss. But a soul is not created out of nothing, so you were willing to sacrifice for her as well. You unconsciously directed me to tear off a piece of your own soul, and granted it to Indigo."

Harry felt physically ill. The Goblins had explained just what it was that Tom Riddle had done to stay alive after he had shown them the memory of the wraith fleeing. The idea that he was following the steps of that monster had him beginning to hyperventilate, even if it was a dream.

"Dear, Master," whispered Death as reached over and cupped his face, catching Harry's eyes with her own, "Your act was not done through violence, through pain, or inspired by greed. Is a mother violating the laws of existence when a piece of her soul is given to a life growing inside her?"

"I will admit that, doing what you have done, creating a soul for a being who is already self-aware did take more than energy than creating a simple baby. Thus your magic will be weakened for a time. Your magic, not your physical abilities. Not that you'll likely notice it as you so rarely use it to its potential. However, your soul will restore itself over time."

Harry felt the glove on his cheek and for a brief moment he allowed himself a disbelieving chuckle, "So, I'm also a mother now?"

"In the broadest sense of the word," Death's lips quirked up in amusement, "But no, how you define your relationship is up to you both. The tiny sliver of life you granted her will grow, as she lives and embodies the traits that you saw within her sacrifice. Even if you never spoke to each other or saw each other again, it would happen. Though I doubt she will allow that to occur."

Harry was silent after that comment turning his attention back to the waves in front of them. His shoulders slumped and he closed his eyes. "All I've ever wanted to be is me. That's it. Just Harry."

"And that's all you are, and all I want you to be," Death responded firmly.

He turned to look at her, narrowing his eyes, "No, apparently I'm a wizard and an alien and now I'm trying to come to terms with what I have to do to be the Master of Death."

"Would you stand aside and allow people to be in danger if you could stop it?" Death asked quietly.

"No," Harry replied.

"Would you just allow evil people to repeatedly rampage and kill innocents?" she followed up in a softer voice.

"No," Harry answered once more, his tone slow and careful.

"Would you shy away from doing what you felt needed to be done, because it was hard?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle.

"No," Harry echoed once again only this time his voice was soft and reluctant.

"And if given command over one of the most powerful beings in the universe, would you abuse that power?" Her voice was soft, but her tone made it clear what she knew what the answer to her question was.

Harry didn't answer for a while. His silence filling the air, and Death didn't press him. He finally closed his eyes and shook his head, "Not... if I could help it, I wouldn't."

"Then yes, while I do not exaggerate when I say uncounted trillions may count on your decision, all I'm asking you to do is be who you are. Just Harry," she said, her eyes never leaving his form.

Harry opened his eyes slowly, staring at the ocean before turning to look at her. "Alright. You win. I'll do it."

Death smiled and nodded a little bit, "Thank you, Master."

Harry closed his eyes as he felt something inside of him almost _click_ in response to the statement.

"Can I still die?" Harry asked after the long pause, staring out at the water.

"Right now? Absolutely." Death responded immediately, "In the future? I do not know. Not even Destiny can tell your future now. You are like a challenger of the unknown. Unreadable, and as your path intersects with others, theirs change and become harder and harder to discern."

Harry was silent for what felt like a long time before he spoke again, "So, I'm your Master, what does that really mean?"

"Beyond what I've told you?" Death responded with an amused smile, "I haven't the faintest clue. Never in all of existence have one of the Endless had a Master. So we'll find out together."

"That… is the story of my life." Harry commented with a roll of his eyes.

"I know." Death responded, with a trace of her own amusement. "But… our time is at an end. We will see each other again soon, I'm sure."

Between one moment and the next Harry's view of the beach and ocean and Death faded to white.

 **OooooOoOOoOooooO**

 **Co-Author's notes.**

 **HOLY CRAP LONG ASS CHAPTER o.o**

 **1)I remember reading this particular set of comics a few years after they came out as I tried to go back and understand infinite crisis and 52 (not to be confused with the crap that was nu 52) and I was about 14. I really disliked this storyline, because I thought it sent lots of awesome characters on bad spirals. (Shift, Superboy, Wonder Girl, Indigo) Spirals that also showed up in JLA from the identity crisis and so on. Ones that continued into infinite crisis and beyond. Harry's presence has changed that. And will continue to make a larger and larger difference going forward.**

 **2) I would be remiss if I didn't mention mjimeyg's version of Harry as death here. It's not the same and not intended to be the same, nor did the idea come from his stories (which I totally enjoy!) but I can't deny there will be similarities. But hopefully enough differences that it won't be a big deal. But I didn't want to not acknowledge it. If you haven't read his stories, you should!**

 **3) As I have said, this is NOT the starfire from the TV show where she is completely ignorant to human rituals and inserts made up words all the time. This one is an adult, confident in who she is and is not shy or inhibited by earth's culture at all :P She's also not at the moment a titan. And definitely not a teen :P she actually left for the outsiders not too long before in comic time.**

 **4) Several people in the reviews guessed what Harry was. I thought it was fairly obvious with the title of the story and a mention of Harry's grandfather's name. If you don't know, I won't spoil it. But a lot of people guessed Harry was a saiyan. I literally had NO idea what that was until Plums explained it to me. (something with dragonball z?) But no. He's not a saiyan at all.**

 **5)Plums Ponderings**

 **I enjoyed writing this chapter with Kat once we finally got going. The Victor / Sirius scene basically was the end of the "pre-written" content we had going back well over a year ago, and we only recently started messing with this again a week or two ago while Kat was finishing up our latest SW/HP chapter, ISH, and the first chapter of her X-men story**

 **Now if only i could get motivated to write my own crap for once. I'm tryin, honestly, I am!**

 **5) Still looking for an ACTUAL DC expert. O.o since we're trying to figure out what storylines to involve here (not to mention when everything lines up) so please reach out if you are an expert and willing to help/let me pick your brain!**

 **OooooOoOOoOooooO**

 **Alternative chapter titles:**

" **Once you go Black you don't go back." - Sirius**

"Oh dear god."- Harry Potter

"That's what she said." Sirius

"We know. We heard you. Both. Loudly. Repeatedly."- Raven

" **Proof that I am not a Homo-Magi." - Sirius**

*groans* "See, I told you." - Harry

" **More people who will magically screw with my head." - Batman**

"Like he isn't paranoid enough already." - Kal El

"Can we put the bat cave under the Fidelius?" - Sirius

"You do that and I'll put Padfoot Jr under one so you can't find it." - Harry

"Why would you deny your poor Godfather like that? Think of the crimes against Starfire!" - Sirius

"True, you'd have to ask me for permission every time you hook-up" - Harry

"You were such a panty dropper as a kid and you've grown into the ultimate cock-block!" - Sirius

" **A wanted mass murderer and his kidnapped godson are buying part of every hero and villain's corporation on the planet… and no one said anything?" - Batman**

"We're doing what?" - Harry

"That sounds awesome!" -Sirius

"What would you even do with a corporation? Do you even know what one is?" - Harry

"I er.. Yes! I know what a Corporation is! Totally! Besides I believe it was the Goblin's idea." - Sirius

"Hush, we're going to take over the world and not even realize it." Goblins

" **It's… ALIVE! IT'S ALIVVEEEEE!" *Lightning crashes and crazed doctor laughter***

"Sirius. I swear to god if you don't stop with the sound effects, I'm never letting you near the telly again." - Harry

" **How did I get knocked on my ass by a midget Martian?" - Lex Luthor**

"More importantly, did anyone get it on video?" – Superman

" **You all just forgot I existed." – Ravager**

"Continuity Error. You shouldn't be in the story yet, so we'll have you having gone after your dad the night before!" – Authors

"LOL DC has continuity? Wut?" – Any one.

" **Who are you?!" -Arsenal**

"Who are you?" - Harry

"I asked you first." - Arsenal

"I asked you second." - Harry

"I'm not messing around, kid." - Arsenal

"I'm not a kid, old guy." - Harry

"I'm not an old guy!" - Arsenal

"You're like Sirius, only lame." - Harry

"I am not lame!" - Arsenal.

"God, it's like watching two five year olds argue!" - Grace

"He started it!" - Harry/Arsenal

" **Oh God, not the face!" - Harry**

"CONNER!" - Cassie (ignoring Harry screaming on the ground)

"CONNER!" - every other DC Hero

"Help.. face… bad!" - Harry

" **Manchester Black? Never heard of 'im!" - Sirius**

"See, people like Manchester Black happen when you are a magical man-whore."- Cyborg

"It was the only thing my uncle and I ever saw eye to eye on!" - Sirius

Edited: 4/19/2017 to teak an explanation and grammar.


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